David & Joyce Morse Center, Bellingham Technical College

Architects: HKP Architects

The David & Joyce Morse Center was built to house the Welding and Auto Collision Repair programs at Bellingham Technical College.  It is a 55,000 square foot facility, with fabrication and work spaces on the ground floor as well as classrooms, offices and a computer lab above.

When the project team approached the Integrated Design Lab for input most of the building’s layout had already been determined.  It was clear that a majority of the workspaces had the opportunity to receive light from for both the top and side; the lab was asked to advise on the optimal configuration of the daylighting apertures.  Several design options were considered in order to see which delivered the best daylighting to task areas; these options were further refined by investigating the aperture areas required for window and skylight materials with a range of visible light transmittances.  All of the options were tested in physical model form.

After an aperture design had been finalized the lab conduced a final round of inquiry to investigate for visual comfort, making sure that glare would not be a problem during occupied hours.  Some additional research was also done on well design for the second floor classroom spaces.

The Morse Center’s workspaces are open and bright, resulting in a facility that the Bellingham Herald calls “top notch.”  Besides a full schedule of classes the building is also home to BTC’s annual Welding Rodeo, an annual fundraiser organized by the schools metalworking instructors.