St. Louis Community College Center for Immersive Learning Earns Outstanding Design Award at SLC3 Show Me Awards Gala

St. Charles Community College is embracing the evolving shifts in higher education through a new kind of learning environment: one that invites students to step into imaginative, immersive worlds that expand how they learn and explore.

The college’s Center for Immersive Learning recently received the Outstanding Design/Construction Project Under $20M award at the SLC3 Show Me Awards Gala. The recognition highlights both the excellence of the design and the impact it brings to students, programs and the greater community.

Designed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, the center blends physical and digital learning in a way that feels seamless and engaging. FGMA shaped the arrival experience, guiding students through a thoughtfully designed hallway and into the explorer’s lounge, where color, lighting and material create a sense of anticipation. Beyond that threshold, Dreamscape Learn developed the virtual reality classroom environments that bring immersive storytelling into the curriculum.

Together, these spaces support evolving pedagogies and expand how students engage with course material, instructors and each other, while a free-roam VR pod and developer stations give them the freedom to explore and create. This layered approach helps students build practical skills that support the demands of today’s workforce.

For community colleges, creative thinking like this is essential. Programs must respond quickly to emerging industry needs, and the built environment plays a direct role in how effectively that happens. Spaces that support applied learning can strengthen local economies and create clearer pathways between education and employment.

We're grateful to have also been named a finalist for Architectural Firm of the Year, and Vice President and Principal Lori Everett, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, was included in the group of Leadership Award finalists.