Arts Center of Coastal Carolina

The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina has become an icon for the arts in Hilton Head Island, a place not only designed to entertain but to motivate the community to get involved with the arts by giving them the opportunity to attend the multiple art studios and galleries.

This project intends to bring a sense of belonging to both the community and staff alike.
The goal was to bridge the gap between architecture and nature by not only taking the natural form of a flower and implementing it into the design but also providing green spaces within the program.

Design Challenge

The most challenging part of the design process was to work with the form of the building which is very radial, the placement of different programs had to be carefully thought, the innermost part occupies a very small space and the outermost becomes immense, which is why the first step to define the spaces was to break up the radial form into sections and then just play with the radius of each of the pieces as well as their heights. This allowed to address different conditions such as the allowance of natural light inside the building and at the same time creating a very dynamic form that resembles a flower that ultimately serves as a connection with the art, culture, and its surroundings.

Physical Context

The site where the building is located is somewhat big and it's completely surrounded by trees and nature in general, it feels like a place with a lot of life. Sun conditions take a huge role in this project, all the morning light is received by the building and some of the afternoon light is allowed inside, the trees provide shading in some specific areas as well. The building has a very literal connection with nature around it by mimicking a flower to celebrate the art of the space and the surroundings.