Design Architect:

tBP/Architecture

Associate Architect or Firm:

Landscape Architect:

SWA Group, Landscape Architecture

Owner / Developer:

Coast Community College District

Project Data:

Completion Date:     9/1/2020

Square Footage:      173572

Building Use:           Community College Center and Student Union Buildings

Project Description:

Orange Coast College’s Measure M-funded Student Union and College Center buildings are revitalizing the aging campus by creating a dynamic student attractor. The Student Union introduces first-time student visitors to top-tier programs while learning about the College’s unique history. It houses student government, clubs, lounging, study and conferencing in a comfortable setting. Visible through expansive windows, the new Quad accommodates students relaxing, recreating, and gathering for activities. Nearby College Center building features a “jewel box” dining experience that flows into the plaza, a 400-seat event center, labs for Culinary Arts and Hospitality, College Administration, Captains Table restaurant and flexible classrooms.

Planning Process:
The complex was born of a consultative process that welcomed voices from more than 20 constituent group on campus. In over 100 engaging community outreach meetings, hands-on exploration, surveys and workshops, College stakeholders contributed their ideas to create the heart of campus life. The process earned the endorsement of the College and community.

Design:
At the center of OCC’s re-envisioning its services and facilities is the College Center and Student Union complex (SU/CC), forming an impressive identifier of the campus as a first-rate institution. Students begin their College journey in the two-story Student Union. The campus culture is displayed inside and outside in the adjacent new central quad. Student government, clubs, support programs, and meeting rooms are centered here.

OCC’s adjacent three-story College Center houses College Administration, Student Services, Food Services, retail stores, Hospitality instruction and the largest community college Culinary Arts program in California. There is strong synergy between the many specialized Kitchens with the Conference Center, Ballroom, and Captain’s Table. Retail spaces appeal to students and the public, including an Apple store and Amazon Hub locker. The mobility hub for cars, busses, and bicycles provides direct wayfinding to the complex.

OCC was originally planned and designed by two fathers of modern architecture, Robert Alexander and Richard Neutra. They formulated an architecture which responded directly to the local environment, promoted healthy living, was filled with natural light and created integrated indoor/ outdoor spaces. Seizing upon that approach to formulate the Student Union, College Center (SUCC) complex, we employed their planning principals to create an architecture of today that is rooted to Orange Coast College’s culture and place.

Community Environment:
OCC serves a vital role as the main training center for Orange County’s largest revenue generator, its vibrant tourism industry. In the SU/CC, students train in professional spaces for Business, Hospitality and Culinary Arts. Students operate the 400-seat Event Center for College and public events, tying education directly to the real-world working experience.

Physical Environment:
The SU/CC Quad has memorable landscapes for important events such as graduation, concerts, speeches, job fairs, dining, college recruitment etc. Pathways connect the main hub of student activity to specialized neighborhoods on campus.

High Performance / Sustainability:
This certified Savings-By-Design complex features: sun shades designed per orientation; 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 for recycling, landfill and food waste for animal feed stores, and California native plants irrigated with reclaimed water.