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Greenville Technical College cut the ribbon Tuesday, officially opening its latest building, which is the largest facility on its four campuses.

The Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences is a 137,000 square-foot, $69 million facility designed and built by McMillan Pazdan Smith, JMZ, and Harper General Contractors, according to a news release.

The largest facility on any of the college’s four campuses and four special educational centers, the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences will serve as a hub at the heart of campus, impacting 90% of Greenville Technical College students with general education requirements, welcoming 150,000 visitors annually, and serving all of the 500 to 600 health science graduates that the college contributes to the local workforce each year, the release stated.

The facility has been named the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences thanks to a $1.5 million gift from the state’s largest health care organization and the number one employer of Greenville Technical College graduates, the release stated. Prisma Health has partnered with the college for decades to create well-qualified professionals to enter the healthcare field and provide the highest quality patient care once they complete programs in nursing and the allied health fields.

“Prisma Health and Greenville Technical College are committed to making an impact in our community by attracting, preparing and retaining the health care workforce of the future,” said Dr. Jonathan Gleason, chief clinical officer for Prisma Health. “Now, with the opening of the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences, the future looks even brighter. Thanks to the college’s partnership, the center will be a driving force in shaping not only our workforce, but the health of our community.”

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That learning-on-display concept inspired many of the facility’s architectural details, according to the release. Just as the scientific devices used in the classrooms look inside bodies and cells to see functions, the building’s pipes, duct work, and other infrastructure are exposed so that students, staff, and visitors can see the facility’s inner works.

“We worked closely with Greenville Technical College’s leadership, visiting peer institutions to gain knowledge of the trends and opportunities that are guiding higher education classroom and laboratory facilities. The result of our shared work is a building that will foster collaboration within an innovative environment that will inspire students and faculty to achieve their highest aspirations,” said lead architect Jeff Tiddy, senior associate for McMillan Pazdan Smith, in a news release.

A think tank room is designed for brainstorming and planning. The room features lounge seating, a touch screen wall, and glass whiteboards.

Spaces invite students to come together between classes with stations where they can study, places where they can collaborate, lounges where they can gather, and a café where they can grab a beverage or enjoy a meal.

“We are grateful to Prisma Health for partnering with us to create the health care workforce of the future. This innovative new facility is designed so that learning is on display, inviting visitors, potential students, and those who are undecided on a college major to view the education taking place and to enter the innovative space as a learner,” said Dr. Keith Miller, president of Greenville Technical College.

Classes will be held in the building when fall semester begins Aug. 26.

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