Center for Innovative Learning & Engagement Wins AIA Washington Civic Design Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Washington Council granted a Merit Award to Tacoma Community College’s new Center for Innovative Learning & Engagement (CILE), designed by Mithun and built by Korsmo Construction. Bestowed by accomplished peers within the architecture industry, the Merit Award is the second highest award in its category.
Since it opened in the spring of 2025, the building has fostered collaborative learning opportunities for the campus community, and especially for the students and faculty in TCC’s Creative Arts, Language & Communication and Education, Social & Behavioral Sciences pathways, which it was designed to support.
“The Center for Innovative Learning & Engagement is alive with energy,” said TCC President Ivan L. Harrell, II, Ph.D. “Students are studying, connecting, and collaborating. Faculty are teaching, mentoring, creating. You can feel the momentum the moment you walk through the doors.”
“Our new building fosters connection, creativity and community. The energy in the building is palpable. In just one quarter, I’ve connected with more students than I typically would in a year. This space has transformed how we learn, teach and grow together,” said Kim Flack, Dean for Creative Arts, Literature, and Communication.
"The Center for Innovative Learning and Engagement was designed to be more than just walls and classrooms. It is a shared space for creativity, collaboration, and discovery, bringing our campus community together to imagine what’s next,"said Patrícia McCray-Roberts, TCC Vice President of Finance and Administration.
About the CILE
Angled to provide stunning views of Mount Rainier (Tahoma) across the college’s Campus Commons, the CILE is a LEED Gold certified, three-story, 51,325 square foot facility. It was designed with significant input from the campus community, with more than 100 students and employees participating in various phases of the design process.
Inspired by the stunning mountain views which can be seen from the glass-walled gathering areas, the CILE’s interior evokes the mountain ascent, with chromatic themes rising from forest to meadow to alpine. Rising beside the east-facing glass wall, a substantial wooden staircase connects the three floors. The staircase opens to collaborative learning areas on all three floors, designed to invite interdisciplinary experiences. Towards the west-facing side of the building, classrooms, faculty offices, and smaller gathering spaces provide additional opportunities for collaborative teaching and learning.
“We are extremely proud of this collaboration with the TCC administration, faculty and students to envision and create a vibrant, high-performing academic hub that enriches learning and reinforces community,” said Mithun partner Jean-Claude Letourneau. “This recognition from AIA Washington is a testimonial to the positive civic benefit and exemplary design of the CILE as a part of campus and for the greater community.”
The CILE’s landscaping connects the building to the heart of campus. Native plants, selected for their ability to adapt to a changing climate and for their importance to Coast Salish Peoples, provide food and habitat for local fauna. Signage describes the plantings’ cultural significance. Because stormwater is diverted to rain gardens which filter pollutants before they can reach Puget Sound, the CILE’s landscaping achieved Salmon-Safe Certification. The CILE’s roof supports a 80kW PV array, designed to reduce the building’s annual energy use by 20 percent.
About Mithun
Mithun is an integrated design firm dedicated to creating positive change in people’s lives. A national practice with offices in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the firm’s architects, landscape architects, interior designers, urban designers and planners work in a wide range of typologies and scales — with a focus on urban environments and places where people live, work and learn. The firm is nationally recognized for excellence in design and sustainability; honors include the 2023 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Firm Award and eight AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Awards.