New Planetarium and Science Center for Tulare County Office of Education

LOCATION:

Visalia, CA

YEAR COMPLETED:

2015

SIZE:

8,900 sf

COST OF CONSTRUCTION:

$3.9M

ARCHITECT:

Mangini Associates, Inc.

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The Planetarium and Science Center is a multimedia educational facility designed to provide students with a unique and exciting learning experience. The Planetarium provides visitors with the opportunity to explore the universe in an exciting and stimulating manner, while the Science Center is a hands-on, interactive learning environment that allows students to solve real-world science problems. The facility is a single-story, wood-framed building using a mixture of dimensional lumber, RedLam LVL, and structural steel. The lateral system consists of plywood shear walls. One of the biggest challenges structurally, was the geometry of the building which features a round, central lobby with multiple rectangular wings attached. The building also features several different roof heights to allow for high ceilings in the Lobby and Planetarium room.

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