Saguaro Building boosts art and sciences at Red Mtn.

Ariia Pike

MCC’s Red Mountain campus, situated off Power and McKellips roads in Mesa, is in stark contrast to its counterpart at Southern and Dobson. The name suits its surroundings.
The colors of the campus blend in with the landscape of Red Mountain and offices and classrooms are organized in a circular layout making things easy to find.
Red Mountain is a general studies campus but places an emphasis on the physical and life sciences.
These classes are always full and students are commonly on waiting lists because of the demand.
This need is part of the reason the campus built its brand new, state-of-the-art Saguaro Building, in Aug.
The 43,000 square-foot facility supports both performing arts and life sciences.
It is home to the rehearsal and performance center, or RAP Center.
This theater has 270 seats and is used for dance and music classes as well as performances.
Most recently the play, “Exploring the Chaotic World of Relationships!” was held at the RAP Center.
Glenn Bennett is a vocal instructor and was instrumental in acquiring the necessary equipment for the high-tech sound and lighting booth that complement Red Mountain’s growth in its arts and music programs.
Life and physical sciences are also a focal point for the Saguaro Building.
In the main lobby there is a large terrarium holding snakes, lizards, tarantulas and a Gila monster.
The attempt to incorporate the desert into the building can be seen by the bat roosts that are located outside windows on the second floor.
The bats can be seen from below and also from classrooms where one can view them up close with the assurance of a window pane between bat and viewer.
There is a research lab for undergraduates, as well as anatomy and physiology labs, which are fully-equipped and will offer cadavers next semester.
The dental program has increased in enrollment as it is now offered in the Saguaro Building, versus the previous program held off-campus.
Cheryl Hardt, secretary to the dean, is most proud of the thought that went into the design and strategy of how it was built.
“We are looking to get LEED Gold certification for this building. The premise was to use green, locally made materials.”
“What is used to clean the building is biodegradable and not detrimental to the environment. Even the product used to wrap the food is sustainable,” Hardt said.
The lighting in the building comes mostly from skylights, the use of fluorescent lighting is limited and where it is necessary the lights are set on motion detection so wasted energy is minimal.

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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