Project Data:

Firm Name:              HGA

Completion Date:     10/1/2019

Square Footage:      65000

Building Use:           Physical Science and Engineering

Location:                 Santa Ana College, 1530 W. 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706

Project Description:

COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHALLENGE
Long housed in aging spaces, Santa Ana College was able to secure funding for a new Science Center for its growing STEM programs, with an eye on meeting the needs of contemporary learning models. Highly aware of the community’s sensitivity to the allocation of public funds, the design team aimed to optimize spatial requirements, durability and appearance trying to maximize functionality.
The result is a highly efficient building that takes advantage of every single square foot of space to introduce collaborative and informal gathering and learning spaces and optimizes flexibility for different learning modalities. Informal gathering spaces are critical yet a rare commodity for a public institution and commuter campus.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Santa Ana College serves a diverse community, in which the students’ motivation and dedication to learning is clearly evident in the improvised study/meeting areas throughout campus. The Science Center accommodates this energetic student body and focuses on each student’s individual goals and aptitudes for learning and communicating.

The Science Center includes:
• Labs and classrooms: 15 labs, 6 classrooms
• Division and Faculty Offices
• Learning Center and Collaboration Zones and Alcoves

DESIGN
The building reflects Santa Ana College’s mission to provide impactful learning environments for its motivated student body enrolled in career-focused STEM programs. The building is located on the southeastern edge of campus, creating a new campus landmark and prominent front door to the community. In addition to phasing constraints of the master plan build-out, the three-story Science Center is one of the first buildings that students and the community see while entering campus. The L-shaped footprint creates a sheltered outdoor space that extends learning to the exterior and eventually will form a Science Courtyard with the planned Health Science building, currently in design.

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
Because of its visible location at the crossroad of campus and community, the state-of-the-art Science Center projects a welcoming image to current and future students, communicating the value of STEM and technical career programs. The building orientation creates a backdrop for student and community activity, placing career-focused science on display and demonstrating a direct link between the classroom and the surrounding community.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The building circulation centers around a large collaboration gathering space. Informal collaborative areas are on all floors, providing the students spaces to mingle and learn independently. The surrounding hardscaping further invites students to gather independently outside, encouraging closer ties to the sciences.

HIGH PERFORMANCE
The 65,000-square-foot building is oriented along the east-west axis to promote optimal daylighting opportunities, reduce electrical lighting use, and allow for easily controlled heat and glare by solar exposure. The building is documented LEED Gold equivalency, but is not pursuing certification.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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