NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. (CANADA)—Global integrated design firm Stantec was selected to provide architecture and engineering for new academic and student housing facilities at Douglas College, the largest degree-granting college in British Columbia, Canada. The college educates nearly 25,000 students per year and is transforming the New Westminster, B.C., campus into a “living-learning community.” The total cost of the project is $292.5 million, and the target occupancy date is Summer 2026.

Stantec’s Vancouver team, with support from the firm’s global education sector, is leading architecture, interior design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, sustainability and building performance, acoustics, and Indigenous engagement services for the project. Graham Construction is the construction manager and structural engineering is being provided by RJC Engineering.

The new 200,000-square-foot academic building is fundamental to the college’s mission to provide an innovative curriculum designed to attract and retain world-class students, faculty, and staff. It will accommodate more than 2,400 students and 200 staff with over 30 classrooms, six computer labs, 80-seat lecture hall classroom, 60-seat event room, and specialized and open collaboration labs. In addition, it will house two faculty departments, student study spaces, along with a variety of breakout/meeting rooms, and lounge areas for collaboration. Dining services will be a component of the academic building and augment campus food services available at the legacy campus.

Sharing a structural podium, the new 130,000-square foot student housing component will encourage a sense of community and nurture social and academic interchange. It will feature 368 student beds in both private and traditional shared student housing layouts. Building management systems will provide smart controls for the HVAC, lighting, and energy systems that will optimize environmental performance and energy management. Efficient water use will be obtained through low flow fixtures.

“The new building is the culmination of years of consultation and collaboration to develop a unique building that reflects the kind of supportive community that students have come to expect from Douglas College,” said Dr. Kathy Denton, President of Douglas College. “This will be a welcoming and accessible space that inspires students to achieve their educational goals and become resilient global citizens.”

The new space will target net zero carbon, BC Energy Step Code 4, and LEED Gold certification requirements. Douglas College’s Environmental Sustainability Policy guides their efforts to actively identify and adopt best practices in environmental responsibility, sustainability, and energy efficiency.

“Our team is honored to help redefine the campus experience for students, faculty, and staff at Douglas College,” said Mark Travis, lead architect for the project and principal at Stantec. “Creating spaces rich in learning and community, these new buildings will support the college’s goals to foster a dynamic, accessible, and supportive teaching and learning environment that deeply values excellence and innovation.”

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AUSTIN—The newest kid on the block for the Austin Community College (ACC) District, known as Highland Phase 2, has been recognized with LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for its efforts to lessen waste and increase the campus’s energy efficiency.

As part of the award, the U.S. Green Building Council took note of Highland Phase 2’s use of recycled material and reusing 58 percent of the original structure that was previously on the site.  Other sustainable elements achieved at the site include 200kW solar panels, light-colored paving and roofing to refract as much heat as possible, as well as plumbing features that are meant to reduce wastefulness.

For Highland Phase 2 ACC chose Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects (BGKA) as lead designers and architect of record.  That firm, based in Austin, worked with Perkins & Will, whose purview entailed both architecture work as well as consultation on interior designs.  Together the firms started out by assessing what material could be salvaged from the interior before the redesign commenced.

Another sustainability element at Highland Phase 2 is the chilled beam HVAC system, a recirculation system that uses water to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.  The slow-moving air makes the HVAC system easier to maintain, saves energy and also reduces background noise for music classes and recording taking place in the building.

Highland Phase 2 is the third campus within the ACC network to earn the designation of LEED Gold certification.  Three other campuses under the college’s umbrella have earned LEED Silver certification.

“ACC remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint and becoming a leader in sustainability efforts,” Andy Kim, ACC’s energy and sustainability director, said recently.  “LEED certification is internationally known.  I am proud of the work ACC continues to do to protect the environment and reduce costs through energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water-saving efforts.”

The architectural design salvaged as many older materials as possible from the former mall’s storefront facades, including glass that was repurposed.

“The steel removed in the cutting out of the paseo was painted black to indicate that it was repurposed and was used within the mixing areas to frame special jewel boxes designed for student interaction,” BGKA said in a statement about its work at the campus.  “Additional items salvaged included a 1970’s neon camera sign that is at the entry to the new photography lab and the fiberglass larger-than-life banana split connected to the entry toward culinary arts.”

Austin Community College educates more than 70,000 students per year.  ACC, which currently diverts more than half of its landfill waste, aims to have no campus waste by 2040 and be entirely climate-neutral by 2050.

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SEATTLE—The University of Washington’s famed Haring Center for Inclusive Education, which provides early education for children with developmental disabilities, has been in operation for a half-century, and thus was ready to align its building with a far more modern mission.

A cooperative team headed by representatives of UW and Mithun Architects aims to re-envision the building for the 21st century. Making use of a $30 million donation from the Sunderland family, the renovation aims to upgrade the “existing Haring Center to fully serve the contemporary experimental education unit, research and professional development programs within the College of Education,” according to a proposal released by the school.

Among the renovations, the architects are planning to redo the learning center’s HVAC system and update its roof, which needs to be replaced entirely. The building will be rewired for internet and Wi-Fi access, and its entire electrical system will be brought up to modern specifications as well. Other work to be done at the Haring Center includes reinforcing and/or replacing the building’s foundations, beams and columns.

The project aims to earn LEED Gold certification, as well as to present to the visitor more pleasurable visual stimuli such as water elements and outdoor courtyards. The 30,375-square-foot undertaking is being headed by Mithun; construction is slated to begin later this year and take approximately two years to complete.

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AUSTIN, Texas—Architect LPA has designed a three-story middle school for students in Austin’s northeastern side as well as in the adjacent city of Mueller. The school, which will be under the umbrella of the Austin Independent School District, will be situated on the site of Mueller’s now-defunct airport as part of a multiphase redevelopment plan for the 10-acre site. The reimagining is called the Mueller Development.

The campus will be home to nearly a thousand students in what LPA has envisioned as a flexible learning space so that education can take place anywhere, not merely inside a classroom. Accordingly, the architectural design offers collaborative breakout rooms, technology-supported spaces as well as “activated” outdoor spaces.

The 130,000-square-foot campus will sit on the former airport’s runway. It will be built up to LEED Gold standards, with roofs that can readily be set up for solar powering and environmentally friendly materials throughout the campus. Recycled water will be utilized to irrigate the grounds as well.

On the exterior, a streamlined courtyard will join together the various learning and activity environments as a “central park” of social areas. The campus is meant to blend seamlessly into the Mueller community itself thanks to bike lanes and sidewalks. Thus the campus will be an asset not just for the students and staff but also for the surrounding community, with people nearby allowed to use the campus’s library, dining commons, gymnasium, roof deck and track field.

To maintain the connection with the site’s former iteration as an airport, the gymnasium is being designed to look like an aircraft hangar. Furthermore, signage to assist with campus wayfinding will feature aerial motifs.

“LPA and Joeris General Contractors worked together through the integrated design-build delivery method to ensure that AISD’s priorities across stakeholders were balanced in the design,” Drew Johnson, director of bond planning and project controls for the AISD Construction Management Department, said in a recent statement. “That process of engaged listening ultimately led to a project that we are all excited to see come into reality and begin impacting the students it is intended for.”

“This school is the direct result of a wonderful collaborative process with educators and the community,” LPA design director Kate Mraw said recently. “AISD really trusted the design team to develop a design that is educationally innovative, environmentally responsible and contextually beautiful.”

Added Federico Cavazos, project architect at LPA: “The design recognizes the importance of planning the campus like a city. Our experience in mixed-use developments really helped us combine the goals of the school and community.”

The site redevelopment of the former airport was a design-build project designed by Coleman Landscape Architects working in coordination with Jeoris General Contractors. Construction is now underway and projected to be finished by the fall of 2023.

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is undergoing an expansion project to add another teaching building to its seaside campus along the “American Riviera.”

The $78 million, 95,000-square-foot project will feature lecture halls, learning spaces and flexible discussion rooms. The building will be a project-based learning hub for UCSB, comprising 32 classrooms and lecture halls, each of which will be able to handle anywhere from 30 to 350 students each.

The new building was designed by LMN Architects of Seattle and was meant to both meld in with the Southern California construction motif as well as take advantage of the natural elements of the surrounding campus area, which abuts the ocean. LMN’s design aims to achieve, at a minimum, LEED Gold certification.

Directly outside the new learning annex, there will be spaces for nearly 2,000 bicycles to be parked—rather appropriate for a Southern California college. Also, an exterior “street corridor” will encourage interaction between students and faculty as they walk between and among UCSB’s buildings. Furthermore, views from the upper-floor classroom windows will allow students and faculty views of the nearby UCSB Pardall Mall to the west, Library Mall to the north and, of course, views of the Pacific Ocean and offshore Channel Islands to the south.

General contractor C.W. Driver Companies broke ground on the construction in March. Project executive Tom Jones said that his firm was charged with fashioning a classroom building that would be a major nexus of educational activity at the heart of the campus.

“Leveraging our expertise in higher education, we recognize the need to create a dynamic environment that not only emphasizes academic inquiry for students, but also fosters interpersonal connections that inspire scholarly ambition, creativity and discoveries with a wide-ranging impact,” Jones said in a recent statement.

Added Liana Khammash, project manager for UC Santa Barbara: “As our university rapidly expands, exceeding our existing classroom capacity, there is a strong need for the new 95,000-square-foot classroom building. This new building will seamlessly integrate into the surrounding public spaces, which have been conceived as extensions of life on campus.”

The project is on the fast track, with a projected completion time of Winter 2022.

General contractor C.W. Driver Companies is over a century old, and in the past few years has expanded its school construction work in California, including in San Diego County and Orange County. The firm recently appeared in Engineering News Record’s Top 150 General Contractors and Top 100 Construction Managers.

Last fall, UCSB also broke ground on a $5 million tennis facility. The campus currently is home to over 26,000 students.

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CLAREMONT, Calif.—C.W. Driver Companies recently broke ground on the expansion of Pomona College’s Athletic and Recreation Center. The construction cost of the project is $43 million. Located in Claremont at 220 E. 6th St., the new 95,000-square-foot facility will provide additional space for the Pomona-Pitzer athletics program, while boosting health and wellness for all members of the community. C.W. Driver Companies is partnering with SCB Architects, Inc. on the project.

The project will be a mix of renovations and new construction and introduce 15,000 square feet for additional training and weight rooms, dedicated areas for cardio exercise, athletic department offices, expanded locker rooms and more. The Athletic and Recreation Center is anticipated to reach completion by Fall 2022.

Situated at the heart of the campus, the new sports facility and main entrance will serve as a campus focal point featuring an expansive arrival lobby and prominent display for the Pomona College Athletic Hall of Fame. Enhancements to the center will include expanded varsity and faculty locker rooms, a strength and conditioning center, additional training and conditioning space, an all-new, two-court practice and recreational gymnasium above the fitness area, three new team meeting rooms, individual offices for coaches and administrative staff and equipment storage space. To enhance the recreation, intramural and physical education programs, new locker rooms, a cardio and fitness center, additional studio and teaching space and shared access to new gymnasium facilities will be added.

“We’re honored to partner with Pomona College to help imagine a state-of-the-art sports complex that serves the university’s growing varsity and athletic programs,” said David Amundson, project executive at C.W. Driver Companies. “The new Athletic and Recreation  Center is designed to be a highly sustainable and modern facility that serves as a central hub for students, student-athletes and faculty alike to train, learn, compete and build community through sportsmanship.”

The new center will incorporate a modern collegiate style, including precast concrete and fiber cement panels on the exterior and polished concrete and high-performance finishes on the interior. To increase transparency and convert an inward-focused building into a welcoming, community-driven sports center that prioritizes indoor/outdoor connections, the design will include the strategic use of glazing to provide ample access to outdoor views and natural light. The center will also introduce multiple outdoor patios, allowing fresh air to filter throughout the building and offering students and staff the option for outdoor meeting and activity space.

The Athletic and Recreation Center will be designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification. Key green building and sustainability features include daylight shading devices to mitigate solar heat gain, HVAC systems that prioritize natural ventilation, rooftop photovoltaics, solar hot water and more.

“We have experienced tremendous growth and an unprecedented level of success with our varsity athletics and recreational sports programs over the years,” said Miriam Merrill, director of Pomona-Pitzer Athletics. “Rains Center, home to Pomona-Pitzer’s athletic programs since 1989, was a pillar of our college and local community. With the support of C.W. Driver Companies, we’re confident that we can transform the complex into a facility that strongly signals our commitment to health and wellness and supports generations of student-athletes to come.”

Founded in 1887, Pomona College is a private liberal arts college offering 48 majors in the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The campus is located about 35 miles east of Los Angeles and stretches across 140 acres in the small, suburban city of Claremont.

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WEST HAVEN, Conn.—A new science and technology building that has gone up at a New England college has been recognized for the innovation of its design and construction, which has earned it a LEED Gold Certified green building certification.

The recently completed Bergami Center for Science, Technology & Innovation was designed by Svigals + Partners, based out of nearby New Haven.  The 45,500-square-foot, three-story structure is designed with a central atrium at its center, thereby allowing it to function as a locus for social activity and encouraging interactions between students and faculty.  The building was named in honor of alumnus Samuel S. Bergami Jr. and his wife, Lois, longtime benefactors to the school.

To make the Bergami Center blend more seamlessly into the existing campus’s motif, the new building connects directly to the existing Buckman Hall, which is part of the school’s engineering school.  Portions of Buckman were renovated to allow the two buildings to perhaps appear as if they had always been joined at the very heart of the University of New Haven.

The Bergami Center is only the most recent collaboration between the college and Svigals + Partners after the designers previously envisioned the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS), which sits adjacent to the main campus.

Julia McFadden, associate principal with Svigals + Partners, said that the Bergami Center was envisioned to “stimulate the kind of productive, collaborative interaction currently leading to breakthrough thinking in institutional, corporate and scientific settings.”  Accordingly, her firm’s plans entailed spaces where students can congregate to more easily swap ideas.  Furthermore, Svigals + Partners’ “thematic” elements are meant to echo the notion of starting out with ideas that eventually evolve into hypotheses and experiments.

And as the new facility indeed has the word “technology” in its name, it will be rife with 3D printers, a broadcast studio as well as a state-of-the-art auditorium that can double as a cinema when so needed.

Bergami Center represents the crown jewel in the university’s Charger Challenge, a slate of improvements and various other campus projects designed to coincide with the school’s centennial in 2020.

“At its core, the Bergami Center embodies our university-wide commitment to fostering innovation, cultivating creativity and ingenuity, and educating the next generation of problem solvers,” University of New Haven President Steven H. Kaplan said in a recent statement.  “In creating this space, we have strengthened our commitment to preparing our students to excel in the careers of the future.”

Svigals + Partners worked on the Bermani center in conjunction with general contractor Consigli Construction Co., civil engineer Westcott & Mapes and landscape architect Richter & Cegan.  Other partners included MEP engineers BVH Integrated Services, structural engineer Michael Horton Associates and energy analyst Karpmann Consulting.

“The university’s leaders understand that their students need to be prepared for life after college,” added McFadden. “Bergami Center combines advanced technology with the collaborative modes that produce transformative thinking, offering students a place to acquire both the skills and the competitive edge they will need.”

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CLEVELAND— The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) recently awarded LEED Gold certification to Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz Hall, home to the College of Engineering.

Completed in 2017, Washkewicz Hall is the sixth building on CSU’s campus to receive LEED certification.

“Washkewicz Hall’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a better place and revolutionize our buildings and communities by providing everyone with access to healthy, green and high performing buildings. Cleveland State’s most recent certification is a prime example of how the innovative work of project teams can create local solutions that contribute to making a global difference.”

Sustainable features of Washkewicz Hall include the following:

• Site utilization that optimizes green space to reduce stormwater runoff;
• Low-flow toilets and faucets that reduce water consumption by 30 percent;
• Energy-efficient mechanical systems;
• 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources;
• 25 percent recycled steel in building materials;
• Light-colored roof material to reflect heat and maintain a cooler temperature within the building;
• Materials, paints, flooring and wall materials contain no- or low-VOCs for improved indoor air quality.

CBLH and Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED) led design and engineering on this approximately $46 million project. Gilbane was the construction manager at risk.

“[Throughout construction, we] used the building as a learning tool, involving students a faculty with regular tours and monthly bulletins about what work was transpiring,” explained Travis Okel, project manager, Gilbane Building Company.

“The team set out with the goal of achieving LEED Gold certification, so knowing that the process of design and construction reached that ambitious target is very exciting,” said Jennifer McMillin, CSU director of sustainability, in a press release.

“As an institution of higher education, CSU has an opportunity to educate students about environmental sustainability both in the classroom and in the campus environment. Designing and operating green buildings is one of our opportunities to demonstrate our commitment to energy and water conservation.”

Other LEED certified buildings at CSU include Julka Hall (LEED Gold), Center for Innovation in Medical Professions (LEED Silver), Euclid Commons (LEED Silver), the CSU Student Center (LEED Silver) and the CSU Recreation Center (LEED Certified).

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NEW PALTZ, N.Y.—The new Engineering Innovation Hub (EIH) building at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz has earned a coveted LEED Gold Certification award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Urbahn Architects led the design team for this $13.5 million project, and the general contractor was PC Construction. The two-story, 19,500-square foot building houses the College’s relatively new and highly popular bachelor’s degree program in mechanical engineering and includes innovative teaching and research lab spaces, as well as the Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center (HVAMC) at SUNY New Paltz.

The new EIH was made possible by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s NYSUNY2020 Challenge Grant competition, in which SUNY New Paltz was awarded $10 million to support academic programs that translate directly into economic development in New York State. The College also received $1 million through the Governor’s Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council’s annual Consolidated Funding Application.

“The Engineering Innovation Hub houses industry-leading equipment to support our students and faculty as well as the work of companies partnering with the College through 3D design and printing,” said SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian. “We thank the Governor and his team for recognizing the value of this project, and our Facilities staff and external partners for working hard to achieve this well-earned LEED Gold distinction.”

SUNY New Paltz initially placed a goal of LEED Silver for the building design. According to Natale V. Barranco, AIA, LEEP AP, Urbahn Architects Principal-in-Charge, “The design of this project to meet LEED criteria was a challenge, because the construction budget was relatively modest. However, every step of the project, from preliminary design through construction, was made with the goal of achieving the highest LEED rating possible in mind, and we were able to meet the criteria for Gold certification through a collaborative effort with the entire project team.”

“The important lesson learned from this project is that an efficient, sustainable building can be designed within the confines of a limited budget,” adds Urbahn Architects’ Senior Associate Nandini Sengupta, LEEP AP. “Bring in seasoned design consultants early in the conceptual phase, and perform continuous energy modeling starting in the conceptual design phase,” she advises designers and owners. “For this project, the client, design team, construction manager, and contractor were all very methodical from the beginning to enable the building to achieve a high LEED rating. The final building envelope and mechanical systems designs have resulted in an energy cost savings of 28%.”

The EIH is centrally located within SUNY New Paltz’s campus, near the existing Resnick Engineering Hall. The building supports the College’s mechanical engineering program that has seen rapid enrollment growth since its 2014 launch, as well as the HVAMC, described below. Urbahn designed the EIH to allow for a potential expansion of the building to accommodate this academic programming and support collaboration between the College and local industry. The hub directly addresses the region’s need for talented engineers and prepares students to thrive in forward-looking careers.

The Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center (HVAMC), which has been providing education, guidance, CAD design, advice on materials used for additive manufacturing, and 3D printing services to SUNY New Paltz students and educators as well as to entrepreneurs and businesses since 2013, operates a laboratory and offices in the new building. The HVAMC’s collection of 3D printers constitutes some of the most advanced technology at any academic laboratory in the United States. The College is the first institution of higher education in the nation to be designated a Stratasys-MakerBot Additive Research & Teaching or SMART lab by Stratasys, the world’s leading 3D printing hardware and systems company.

The Hub’s project team also includes mechanical and electrical engineer Vanderweil Engineers, plumbing engineer CSA Group, structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA), LEED consultant YR&G, civil engineer BET Engineering Consultants, landscape designer Edgewater Design, lighting designer Lumen Architecture, and cost estimator Ellana, Inc.

The design of a 31,200-square foot landscaped site contributes to the project’s sustainability. The project team addressed the LEED category of Sustainable Sites and Water Efficiency in several innovative ways. The entire building site was formerly covered by a parking lot and the new site plan was developed to maximize the open green area surrounding the building footprint.

Landscaped bioswales direct rainwater into a 45-foot long retention pond that is provided with a weir and overflow gate to control discharge. Ground water under the building footprint is also drawn into the pond through underground perforated pipe, preventing a rise in hydrostatic pressure that could potentially drive moisture into the building. Large boulders recovered from the site during excavation were reused around the bioswale to provide landscape interest. The bioswale has been planted with native evergreen shrubs, eco mix seed, and grasses.

In addition to the landscape design, LEED points were also awarded for several features of the building and its location. The building’s roof is a white reflective TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) membrane system, with added insulation to improve the R-value. This composition reduces the heat island effect by providing a high solar reflectance index. The building is close to public transportation stops and provides bicycle storage to decrease reliance on private fossil fuel vehicles.

Urbahn placed particular emphasis on maximizing daylighting and views throughout the building without compromising energy efficiency. “EIH’s ground floor lobby is wrapped in a glass storefront and glazed curtain wall systems to allow natural light into the interiors. The lobby serves as a collaborative study and social space with extensive writable surfaces, where students can collaborate outside the classroom setting,” says Urbahn’s project manager Arielle Siegel Lapp. “Window headers are located nine feet above the floor so that light can penetrate deep into interior spaces. Our team analyzed several glazing options to maximize the energy efficiency of the exterior walls, and ultimately designed window assemblies using double glazed low-E glass that provide ideal comfort levels, daylighting, and views while utilizing less than 30% of the exterior wall surface. All regularly occupied spaces have line of sight views of the campus,” she adds.

Lighting is provided by high efficiency LED fixtures, some featuring a ring like curvilinear configuration, provided with light sensor controls. As the building fills with natural light flooding through the high windows during the day, light fixtures automatically shut off to conserve energy, and turn on again as exterior lighting conditions change with nightfall.

Vanderweil Engineers performed energy modeling throughout the design phase to optimize the performance of the HVAC systems. They worked within the limited budget to select mechanical components that would meet the LEED criteria. Heating and cooling are provided by a custom Nortek Ventrol air handling unit with Fanwall technology, 30,000 cfm, 890,000 BTU. The cooling tower is Carrier 30RB080 unit with 80 ton capacity. Additional equipment was manufactured by Mitsubishi and Nailor, and BMS is provided by Siemens. The designers chose HVAC and fire suppression systems that minimized ozone depleting chemicals.

The use of water saving plumbing fixtures has resulted in a 31% reduction in the consumption of potable water.

The project plays a continuing part in the education of the students who are the ultimate building occupants. During planning and construction, engineering students toured the site and sat in on team meetings to learn how to plan and maintain an energy efficient facility.

According to Urbahn Architects’ Construction Administrator Manuel Mateus, “When selecting building materials, the design team considered several factors, including local sourcing, recycled content, and performance values. The exterior walls feature an ultra-high-performance energy efficient rain-screen system that minimizes heat loss by eliminating thermal bridging. The system face consists of concrete panels by Taktl in both a light gray smooth finish and a dark gray textured finish. Each panel has ColorSeal and MicroSeal coatings to help with color and water resilience for extended durability. The rain screen is anchored to a stud backup, and the assembly provides a balance of pressure behind the wall that inhibits water infiltration into the building interior.”

The red soffit above the main entrance is composed of Vitrabong 4mm FR lightweight metal composite material (MCM) cladding panels in Rubis Red color. Vitrabond panels are composed of a 3mm fire retardant (FR) Core, 0.5mm aluminum skin, and polyester anti-corrosion coating.

The ultra high-performance exterior wall panels are by Taktl. The dark gray panels are in the “Grey Reed” color and the light-colored ones are in “Platinum Smooth”. Each has ColorSeal and MicroSeal coatings to help with color and water resilience for extended durability.

Flooring consists of polished concrete, carpet, vinyl composition tile (VCT), and glazed ceramic tile, all of which contains recycled content. The concrete mix used for flooring and foundations was locally sourced. Ceilings in the labs and the lecture room are fully exposed, reducing the need for standard acoustic tile systems. All materials were required to have low-VOC emissions.

Collaborative spaces throughout the building feature expanses of the university’s colors – blue and orange – as well as wood soffits and acoustical cloud ceilings to add warmth and texture to the spaces.

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WILMINGTON, Calif.—The Los Angeles Harbor College Student Union Building in Wilmington, designed by HMC Architects, has achieved LEED Gold Certification.

The 59,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art learning and social hub is home to the LAHC’s Culinary Arts Program as well as campus bookstore, dining hall, student government offices, and a multi-purpose room for a common gathering space. The intentional design unites the existing campus buildings while establishing itself as a unique member of the growing campus. As home to the school’s culinary arts program, the building features two industrial sized kitchens, two auditorium style demonstration classrooms, and a small bistro where student chefs cook and serve meals to visiting guests.

The HMC team, which partnered with Bernards on the design-build project, incorporated several sustainable design strategies to achieve Gold Certification including natural daylighting, drought tolerant landscaping, and low-emitting materials. The building’s roof reflects solar radiation and paving materials with low heat absorption reduce heat island impacts. Skylights bring daylight deep into the building and exterior sunshades prevent sun glare. Solar panels installed in the adjacent student parking lot offset over 17 percent of the building’s total energy use and helped the building achieve over 45 percent energy savings.

HMC Architects is a healthcare, education, and civic architecture firm, with over 350 employees across seven offices in the western U.S.—including California and Arizona. Bernards is a California-based commercial builder and construction management company that includes offices in San Fernando and Irvine.

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