Enclosure of an existing, but underutilized, outdoor courtyard to create gathering space for students.

Queensborough Community College (QCC), a commuter campus in Queens, NY, boasts a student population of over 16,000 and courses lasting from 8:00am to 10:30pm, creating a dire need of centralized dining and recreation space on campus between classes. To meet this need, Goshow Architects is enclosing an existing outdoor courtyard within the QCC Science Building  in 2 phases to create this multi-purpose student facility - a strategy which has kept the project on time and on-budget.
Goshow harnessed the space’s most valuable asset, daylight. We covered the space with an ETFE film which is 1% the weight of glass, transmits more light, and costs 24% to 70% less to install. By designing the rest of the space with neutral colors, durable materials and a dash of greenery, students can enjoy the natural light all year.