Lehigh Carbon Community College

Location: Jim Thorpe, PA
Description:  Feasibility Study for New Carbon County Campus

Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) operates several satellite campuses which serve Lehigh and Carbon Counties. A new Campus is being considered to provide increased service for the Carbon County community. Recognizing the potential benefits of a partnership with the Carbon Career and Technical Institute (CCTI), a facility previously designed by GKO Architects, we were asked to prepare a study to evaluate the potential of developing the new LCCC campus on the CCTI Site. While the proposed location for the new LCCC facility offers opportunities for dramatic views through the valley of Jim Thorpe, it also presents specific challenges of working with steep slopes, protruding bedrock, existing utility easements, and an existing residential access road.

GKO Architects worked closely with the Board of Trustees and the Administration of LCCC to prepare a comprehensive Feasibility and Schematic Design Study for the new campus. A simple and cost-effective Design Concept was proposed which included six general instructional spaces, a Fitness Center, two Computer Labs, a Science Lab, Administrative and Faculty Offices, a small Media Center, and several Student Work Areas. A Student Commons Area with indoor and outdoor seating serves as the social heart for the proposed community college campus.