The Arkitex Studio transformed an outdated space into a cutting-edge and modern home for the Computing Services Center at Texas A&M University’s main campus in College Station, Texas.

As technology becomes an ever-more central facet in education, leaders of the organization wanted to make the CSC a showcase that would draw people to it, conveying a message of being open, friendly, and inviting to their users as well as providing state-of-the-art resources.

The project accomplished these goals by crafting a clean, modern design with a very open plan. Glass walls allow transparency where possible, with the use of switchable glass in select areas still providing the option of privacy when desired. Contrasting wood features with the transparency and crisp lines then brings in both a high-end feel and a sense of warmth. Applying this wood in new and different ways creates a sense of the unexpected while the circuit board-inspired plan – with walls using both angles and curves – directs people as they move through and around the spaces. The design also integrates high-end technology, including a 36-foot-wide video wall, the latest touch screen video conferencing system, and tv-displays built into the bathroom mirrors.

The CSC’s new home also allows the Help Desk workers to get away from a purely transactional relationship with students simply dropping off devices to be repaired. The groupings of chairs, tables, and counters provide multiple options for workers and students to meet informally and talk through their technology questions or resolve issues.

Architect: The Arkitex Studio
Contractor: GrantCaffey Construction
Photography: Charles Davis Smith