Butte College
News Announcement

Butte College Announces Construction of State-of-the-Art Science Building and Planetarium

Video courtesy of JK Architecture Engineering

Butte College Superintendent/President Virginia Guleff unveiled plans for Butte College's new $73.2 million science building at her January 18 Institute Day convocation. The advanced, two-story facility will feature a state-of-the-art planetarium, upgraded teaching facilities and collaborative study spaces. Construction of the new facility will begin this spring, with a planned opening in fall 2025. 

"We are excited to offer our students the opportunity to learn and explore in a state-of-the-art facility," said President Guleff. "This new science building is the latest investment the college has made to provide students with the highest quality educational experience possible."

The 72,276-square-foot facility will include:

• Two small lecture classrooms

• Lab/lecture spaces for microbiology, anatomy, physiology, zoology/botany, geology, astronomy, meteorology, physics and chemistry

• A cadaver room

• 38 faculty offices

• Collaborative and peer-based learning spaces

• 2400-square-foot planetarium

"The new science building will support instruction for majors in STEM, construction management, nursing, allied health and students taking general education in the sciences. It reflects the college's commitment to accessible and engaging science education," said Dr. Robert White, interim dean of STEM. "We have designed the building with the studio teaching model emphasizing active vs. passive learning with extensive input from science faculty to ensure the building meets the current and future needs of the college."

The new building will be centrally located at Butte College's main campus south of the Allied Health Building and next to the newly renovated Math Building. Its central location, welcoming glass facade and energetic interior design will beckon students and invite them to interact with science. The planetarium will seat 60 students and offer 360-degree views of the sky and cosmos. In the building's common areas, "sticky" spaces will provide opportunities for peer-based learning and foster community among students and instructors. The building's design will pay tribute to many of the disciplines taught inside. Structural elements between the two floors are artfully misaligned to represent the shifts in the earth's plates. Inside, light fixtures will replicate the look of commonly studied molecules.

The new construction will also support the college's sustainability and equity goals. Solar panels will be installed in the nearby parking lot to help offset the building's energy needs, and the building will also have all-gender restroom options and a private lactation room.

The project is funded by Measure J, a $190 million bond measure approved by voters in November 2016, and the state's Physical Plant and Instructional Support Block Grant. JK Architecture Engineering designed the building, and construction will be led by Modern Building-Clark/Sullivan Construction Joint Venture.

###