Olympic College, Instruction Center and William D. Harvey Theatre

Programming Olympic’s new College Instruction Center was driven by a unique campus perspective – creating a new campus entry quadrangle with a central gathering space – the William D. Harvey Theatre, a 276-seat multi-use auditorium.  The program also called for accommodation of visual and performance art instruction spaces and a separate floor for health care training. As one of several community colleges on Washington State’s Kitsap peninsula, Olympic’s theatre program had begun a very popular “Acting for Video” concentration that welcomes students in the arts, as well as those with a focus on public speaking in a broadcast setting.  Upon completion, the College’s truly multi-purpose/multifunctional instructional center program was met.

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided theatre and audio-video consulting for the project in collaboration with Schacht Aslani Architects and acoustician Basel Jurdy at Sparling.  The intimate main stage theatre was planned and designed as a convertible space, easily transformed from lecture, music or theatre, relying on minimal labor and very rapid changeover. Pivoting wing walls with acoustically-shaped faces and black velour backs offer a choice of music or lecture with the spin of a panel. Tracked rear walls offer acoustical surfaces or a rear black drapery.  For recruitment, a center rear aisle with right angle light lock and an entry door with a window allows a peak into the intimate Harvey Theatre.

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander’s scope of work included LED theatrical lighting systems for training purposes in the studio.  Automated rigging, and theatrical audio-video systems are provided throughout the theatre and back-of-house support spaces. In addition to the theatre, the firm provided variable acoustics and audio-video systems design for the Music Ensemble classroom.

The building’s reception from students and the community have been overwhelmingly positive.  Olympic Jazz Classic, the Bremerton Symphony and youth orchestras are just some of the performers that perform in the William D. Harvey Theatre.

Architect: Schacht Aslani Architects
Acoustician: Sparling
Size: 70,000 SF
Cost: $46,500,000
Completion: 2018