Rose State College Performing Arts Center

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Quinn/Rees Associates, Inc. was commissioned to design a new 74,000 square foot Communication Center for Rose State College. The building includes a 1,500 seat auditorium, expandable to 2,600 seats, along with classroom and lecture spaces. The facility also houses the Music and Art Departments, along with the students’ newspaper offices.

The design of the new Communication Center evolved through the functional needs of the user and the incorporation of architectural elements and characteristics of the existing college. The Communication Center is a highly visible facility used for theatrical and musical performances, lecture series, conference and public town hall meetings.

Though built at a time before sustainability rating systems were widely adopted, the project utilized and ice-storage system to overcome the impact of cooling a large performance venue on demand which allowed the University to operate at lower costs during non-performance time periods. This approach also minimized the tonnage of mechanical capacity for special use areas. REES’ commitment to sustainable design practices provided the leadership to integrate this system into the project.

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