Transformed from a 1970s law school into a bright and open chemistry teaching lab building, the University of South Carolina's Instructional Chemistry Laboratories is a testament to the power of modernization and reimagination.

Shelves of dusty law books, tight hallways, an outdated single-story lobby, and limited access to natural light are now state-of-the-art teaching labs, a light-filled multi-story atrium, prep spaces, and collaboration areas. The new facility highlights the importance of undergraduate science education and student success at the University.

When you step inside USC's new Instructional Chemistry Laboratories building, you are welcomed by an ascending grand staircase where students bustle off to their next class or head to indoor and outdoor collaboration areas.

The building is infused with highly transparent teaching laboratories putting science on display. Intentionally placed in the central thoroughfare on the main floor, the glass-enclosed advanced chemistry instrument bay is the centerpiece of the facility, showcasing the most complex instruments on campus and fueling student excitement about their futures at USC.

Faculty and staff enter the laboratories through vestibules that reinforce safety with lockers for belongings and PPE storage. The labs also are anchored to common prep areas that maximize staffing efficiencies.

When students aren't in the lab, you can find them sprinkled around the building's daylit perimeter, gathering and studying in the various collaboration nooks. This facility is a perfect blend of high-tech lab spaces and comfortable gathering areas to allow student learning and success.

In collaboration with Watson Tate Savory.