Steinberg Hart has designed the Iovine & Young Academy for the University of Southern California located in Los Angeles, California.

The USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation is an innovative academic program that aims to promote entrepreneurial thought in business, design, engineering, marketing, and the arts. Conceived in 2013 by record producer Jimmy Iovine and rapper Andre Young (aka Dr. Dre), the four-year undergraduate program enrolled its first class of 25 students in the fall of 2014.

The Academy’s hallmark workspace is the Garage, located on the fourth floor of Steven and Kathryn Sample Hall. The unusual, doughnut-shaped space includes a large collaboration area, as well as two flexible teaching rooms, a fabrication studio, high-tech workshop, and 3D print room placed at various points along the perimeter. Academy students have access to high-powered computer docking stations, 3D printers, hand tools, power tools, and electronics. A “pitch” room allows students to hone their skills at presenting ideas, while the student lounge provides a place to socialize and unwind. Conference rooms, open office space, break-out nooks, and technology support rooms complete the fourth-floor layout.

The unique environment is meant to inspire creativity, encourage entrepreneurialism, and foster collaboration between students, faculty, staff, and industry mentors. Beyond the Garage, USC’s strategic location in Los Angeles, widely viewed as the creative and media capital of the world, provides an unrivaled opportunity for students to take advantage of a living laboratory of music, film, and visual arts practices.

Architect: Steinberg Hart
Photography: Nico Marques/Photekt