Point Loma Nazarene University Science Center

Vision

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is a 3,500-student university in San Diego, California located on a lush coastal campus with landmarks predating the 1800s in the theosophist vernacular. PLNU life is grounded in a strong sense of faith guided by the tenets of personal salvation, a life of service, and the Bible’s primacy. PLNU is also known for its acclaimed science programs and successful medical school placements. Its existing Rohr Science building was 52 years old and the needs of the Chemistry, Biology, Physical, Math, and Computer Science Departments had grown beyond the capacities of that facility.

As their robust science program was attracting a growing student body, PLNU needed a new science building to house state-of-the-art classrooms and labs. This new building would sit at the center of their sloped campus adjacent to the continent’s first Greek amphitheater and would be one of the largest undertakings the University has ever made. They had high expectations that this building:

Incorporate and highlight natural lighting and ventilation and passive heating and cooling methods

Nurture a culture of enthusiastic and tireless learning through the architecture and design

Become a keystone building on the campus by exuding excellence through an effective balance between creativity and utility

Sustain the teaching of science for years to come

Benefit all students and staff on the campus, not just those in the science departments

Inspire imagination

Architecturally and visually connect with the renovated existing building

Create comfortable and delightful spaces for students to connect and gather informally

Facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among departments through programmatic flexibility

This addition of a large science and academic center was almost 20 years in the making. With this work, the evangelical Christian institution went against stereotype, making physical the school’s vibrant dialogue between scientific progress and biblical teachings, evolution and creation, spiritual enlightenment, and human potential.