College Campus in idyllic Nebraska

The vibrant facade made of narrow concrete slats from Rieder in the distinctive colour coralline emphasises the intentionally designed connection to the surrounding landscape. The architects from BVH and Multistudio focused on active learning and promoting collaboration in their planning. The award-winning Southeastern Community College in the Midwest of the USA surprises both inside and outside with many thoughtful details and architectural highlights.

At the Southeastern College campus in Beatrice, everything revolves around the implementation of newly gained insights into the optimal learning environment. Educational architecture advocates for chance interactions and slowing down the student's daily routine.

The design of the new learning facility incorporates many elements of the surrounding landscape. The connection to the area is established through the interplay of colours, different surfaces, and the form of the öko skin slats, reminiscent of the building envelopes of traditional red farmhouses. The functional aesthetics of the superimposed metal facade bridge the gap to the exposed structure of grain silos and the way light is filtered through the porous walls of a wooden barn. The lively red hue captures the colour diversity of nature and gives the building envelope a vibrant and fresh look. The contrasting surfaces create an exciting interplay of colours and a diverse spectrum of visual impressions and tactile experiences. This enhances the visibility of the glassfibre reinforced concrete elements.

Durability, safety, and resource conservation are crucial factors in the construction of educational institutions. Rieder can convince planners and builders with numerous arguments regarding ecology, in addition to longevity, low maintenance, easy installation, and absolute fire resistance: Non-toxic products (free from crystalline silicon dioxide) and the minimisation of primary energy in production are just a few aspects. The öko skin slats used at the Southeastern Community College are only one part of the broad range that the Austrian facade specialist can offer to planners and builders in terms of architectural solutions in concrete. The narrow elements are relatively light and easy to handle during installation. Various colours, surfaces, textures, and a variety of formats support architects in implementing the optimal solution for the facade. Narrow slats can be effectively combined and coordinated with 3D elements or flat concrete skin facade panels. Architecturally sophisticated facades with ecological and economic benefits that meet all requirements of modern learning institutions are thus easily achievable.