Project Data:

Completion Date:     5/2/2022

Square Footage:      52100

Building Use:           specialty teaching labs for a variety of programs, faculty offices

Project Description:

PROGRAM
ATAS (Advanced Technology and Applied Sciences) is a teaching lab building that brings together different departments from architecture, landscape design and horticulture, graphic design, and environmental sciences to advanced manufacturing and electronics. Faculty and division administration offices are accommodated as well. Interaction between these different groups is crucial for student success. The “Social Hub” forms the central ‘collision’ and collaboration space.

SITE CONDITIONS
This community college campus consists of several academic focus areas on the ridge of a mesa with an invert orientation. The site for ATAS is located down slope of these areas towards the beautiful natural surrounding of the Arroyo Trabuco and mountains beyond.

DESIGN INTENT
The new classroom/lab building for advanced technology and applied sciences, ATAS, is a destination for interdisciplinary and ‘hands on’ learning. The building is targeting LEED Gold certification. The classroom/lab building combines a strong contextual attitude with high performance. The building design is based on the connection into the campus pedestrian network and the capture of the surrounding natural beauty. The social hub forms the center of the building between two flexible classroom wings that frame the courtyard. The terracotta-colored accent walls draw users into the building, leading them into the social hub. From here they open up the views to the surrounding nature. ATAS is the first building on campus to offer a relationship with the natural beauty around.
The building massing is organized in two highly efficient lab wings that come together in the social hub where students and faculty from different departments will meet and collaborate. A social hub that is also an incubator for innovation and new ideas.
The outdoor space around the building provides varieties of educational environments from outdoor classrooms to amphitheater, from workspaces to teaching gardens that feature socal native planting. Elevated teaching Patios offer extensive views to the close by Arroyo Trabuco and the mountains beyond.
The building structure in form of concrete columns, floors and shear walls is exposed demonstrating the inner workings of the building and serving as an educational teaching tool. It also functions as a thermal mass absorbing heat during the day and delaying the need for HVAC systems.
The building articulation is derived from very site-specific parameters, the colored wing walls reach out like open arms to welcome users from the campus network nodes and guide them to the central space to then open up views to the mountains. By connecting the building closely to its surroundings students feel welcome and find a place where they will like to stay and learn. The site specific articulation of space supports student success.

Firm Name:              HED_ Michael Bulander AIA

Completion Date:     5/2/2022

Square Footage:      52100

Building Use:           specialty teaching labs for a variety of programs, faculty offices

Location:                 Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Project Description:
Design for Integration:
the 'open arm' wing walls are based on the concept of connectivity: connection to the campus, connection between the different departments, connection to the surrounding nature. the accent color emphasizes these three key connections.
they unify all other aspects of the project.
an integrated design process was used to design the building. As it was developed as a design build competition all disciplines as well as client groups were part of the design from the very beginning.

design for equitable communities
as the building is based on connection it serves a wide range of users from the campus community and the surrounding community at large. Being a part of a community college supports the mission of being open for all members of the community and fosters their ambition for furthering their education. the different programs within the building are being brought together in the central social hub where a free exchange of ideas from different parts of the community takes place. the courtyard is being used by the whole college. it is already a beloved space for all kind of meetings as it connects the campus to the surrounding nature

design for ecosystems
ATAS uses the surrounding landscape as an educational teaching tool. The landscape was developed in collaboration with the horticulture program and is based on local habitat.

design for economy
the building is highly efficient in its compact form and the gross to net area is very efficient. the compact massing leaves room for outdoor space. the high performance envelop together with an optimized window to wall ratio of under 30% glazing creates a very energy efficient building that saves long term operational costs for the college.

design for energy
the EUI of 56 kbtu/sf/yr is 73% better than the baseline of 204 kbtu/sf/yr based on AIA 2030, given that the specialty labs are traditionally high energy consumers with special ventilation requirements. PV panels on the roof provide 22% of the buildings energy.

design for wellness
the building provides a comfortable indoor environment, the exposed concrete walls serve as thermal mass absorbing excessive heat. The main stair are placed at the center of the social hub with elevators around the corner so that they promote their use and therefore physical activity. the concept of connectivity creates a connection to the surrounding nature, corner windows, teaching patios and courtyards are designed to bring the beauty of the mountins and the Arroyo Trabuco into the spaces.

Design Architect:
HED

Associate Architect or Firm:
Martha Ball, Project Management; HED
Michael Bulander | Project Designer; HED
Megumi Hironaka | Sustainability Lead; HED
Can Cui, Samantha Aisawa, Hue Eryigit, Denise Ramos | Architecture and Design; HED
Gary Goldblum | Specifications; HED
Sheila Friedland | Administrative Services HED

Landscape Architect:
NUVIS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE - Linda Forde

Owner / Developer:
South Orange County Community College District, Nawar Al Juburi

Engineer:
CRITCHFIELD MECHANICAL (Mechanical)
XCEL MECHANICAL (Plumbing)
Michael Wall Engineering (Electrical)
Cofman Engineering (Structural)
Zero Envy,( Energy Consultant)
Woden Fire, (Code)
Daart Fire Co Inc., (Fire Protection)
Mark Zakhour, (CaSP)

General Contractor:
McCarthy Building Companies - ROB RAGLAND

Consultant:

Photographer:
Nico Marques