Design Architect:

tBP/Architecture

Associate Architect or Firm:

Landscape Architect:

AHBE Landscape Architects, Landscape Architecture

Owner / Developer:

El Camino Community College District

Project Data:

Completion Date:     6/1/2020

Square Footage:      21000

Building Use:           Community College Administration Building

Project Description:

The new El Camino College Administration Building is the lynchpin of the Facilities Master Plan, which re-imagines the flow of the historic campus to support the demands of modern learning. This effort is endorsed by the voters in their approval of Measure E. The main objective is to consolidate all administrative programs into a single, flexible building to enhance the synergies among departments. Additional objectives were to create an enduring “face” of the College that embodies the ECC brand, supports the College’s multi-cultural student body and promotes success for all students.

Planning Process:
The consensus process for this project encouraged voices from every stakeholder community on campus. It brought together El Camino College members for over 100 events of surveys, meetings, discovery games and workshops, engaging their imaginations to create a nurturing student environment. This experience resulted in the community’s enthusiastic approval of the design direction.

Design:
Thanks to the voters of Measure E the District embarked on a Facility Master Plan which led to identifying this lynch pin project; to demolish and replace the original 1950’s Administration Building. The main objective was to bring together all the administrative programs into a single, flexible, welcoming, modern building appropriate to creating synergies that would enhance and facilitate communication among administrative departments. Other objectives were to create an Administration building that sets the tone for the campus: is a readily identifiable and welcoming “front door” to the College, a building that expresses the branding of ECC, and supports the College’s multi-cultural student body and with the mission to support and facilitate student success for all students.

Through an iterative process, our curvilinear design was premiated by the building committee because it best contrasted with every other building on campus, as they are all rectilinear. The building is gracefully curved to welcome students and the community. The shape commands attention amid the massive surrounding buildings. The shape espouses the role of the “portal” to the campus. As for materiality, a moderne’ aesthetic of concrete, brick and glass was utilized to relate directly to the original campus architecture and fit with the new adjacent buildings. This is important because the international style buildings are rigorous, elegant, serious, and not referential to a specific culture. The style was chosen chosen to represent the melting pot that defines this southern Los Angeles community.

The presence of the new Administration Building announces to the community that the College continues to evolve and better itself. The two-story facility is comprised of flexible indoor/outdoor areas for employees, students, visitors, and events, including areas for private work and collaborative working styles. The spacious lobby offers a warm welcome with convenient breakout areas and leads one from Crenshaw Blvd through the portal into ECC’s central quad. The multi-use Board Room will facilitate meetings and events with smart-plus technology and furnishings that can adapt and change easily. The building can be readily reconfigured as organizational needs change.

Community Environment:
ECC is an educational resource for the South Bay’s aerospace and transportation industry. The Administration Building provides an efficient and comfortable professional environment for employees, students, community members and the College’s industry partners.

Physical Environment:
The notable façade and strategic drop-off at the Administration Building create a welcoming marker for wayfinding from the campus exterior as well as the interior. It is centrally located at the edge, with a grand promenade leading to a logical hierarchy of pathways to every part of the College. The outdoor plaza is an important space for events, study, gathering and rest. A pleasing landscape of drought-tolerant California native plants is easy to maintain.

High Performance / Sustainability:
The Administration Building features: sun shading devices designed specifically per orientation, a high efficiency mechanical system, stucco, metal panels and glass exterior materials chosen to last, recycled interior materials, low water-use fixtures, LED lighting, incorporated natural lighting, refuse divided into recycled content, landfill items and food waste storage for dissemination to local animal feed stores, and California native plants watered with reclaimed water. The result of our sustainability mindset is that the College received monies from the So Cal Edison program Savings by Design for achieving such a high level of energy efficiency and the building was designed to attain LEED Silver Certification but the College chose not to pursue the formal rating.