University of Southern California (USC) Glorya Kaufmann International Dance Center

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Project details
Client

University of Southern California

Architect

Pfeiffer Partners

Duration

Completed in 2016

Services provided by Buro Happold

Building Services Engineering (MEP), Energy consulting

The new USC Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center will offer USC students instruction in both contemporary and classical dance, ranging from ballet to hip-hop, and ballroom.

To support this wide spectrum of styles the Center has been designed to include a black box studio theatre, instructional classrooms, dance studios, performer support spaces, an outdoor courtyard, costume storage, and faculty and administrative offices.

The 3-story Center, constructed from red brick, features large gothic style windows that allow the space to be flooded by natural light, offering the perfect conditions for effective dance. With a big outdoor courtyard, the campus community are provided with a common space that promotes and encourages creativity and innovation.

Located near the Thornton School of Music, the Center acts as a recognizable anchor for an emerging arts quadrant on campus and provides a new home for dance education on the west coast and in the Pacific Rim. In addition to this, it will emphasise and contribute to the University’s world-class reputation, while enhancing the city’s cultural leaders.

Challenge

To ensure that the Center runs as efficiently as possible, the University needed to upgrade their Building Information Management (BIM) standards to enable greater control over system functions.

USC Glorya Kaufmann International Dance Center
The 3-story Center, constructed from red brick, features large gothic style windows that allow the space to be flooded by natural light. Image: Ema Peter

Solution

Our team of engineers worked closely with the facilities management team, in order to produce a high level BIM model that encompassed all of the parametric data for the new dance center’s design in one place.

We developed a plan to deliver the BIM systems at an early stage in the design process, enabling our team to implement a strategy that would provide the highest efficiency in both design and execution.

Julian Parsley, Associate Principal, Buro Happold

Value

As a result of our careful collaboration, USC’s Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center is set to become an inspirational, state-of-the-art training and performance space for dancers. The architectural form and carefully designed interiors represent the ethos of the school, marrying the art of dance with cleverly designed spaces.

USC Glorya Kaufmann International Dance Center
Image: Ema Peter

Awards

2017

Westside Urban Forum Citation Award Public: Institutional

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