Judges' Comments
- The jury members appreciated this project’s very thoughtful massing, and creative site planning strategies which were explained well through good diagramming and narrative. They all agreed that the use of color, and the choice of material were managed to a good effect. The exterior circulation areas were a particularly favorite feature.
Project Data:
Completion Date: 8/31/2015
Square Footage: 191000
Building Use: Higher Education Math, Business & Computer Sciences Bldg
Location: Costa Mesa, CA
Project Description:
The 90,000-sq.-ft. three-story, Phase I, Interdisciplinary Classroom (IDC) complex is located on the north edge of the college’s main quad. Many of the original campus buildings were designed in the mid 50’s by one of Southern California’s most influential architects: Richard Neutra. Richard Neutra’s timeless ideas on the seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, natural lighting and ventilation were the foundations of the project’s design. Using these classic Neutra concepts, the design team added program requirements for today’s technology and materials use creating a 21st century learning environment fitting it’s Southern California location. The program was distributed along five bars or “fingers” that create a seamless indoor/outdoor integration. On the ground floor, the bars were aligned on a north/south axis to accommodate student pedestrian flow through the site. Assembly and specialty spaces were expressed in rounded shapes, distinct destination elements sitting on the landscape like pavilions.
All classroom and lab spaces were located on bars hovering above the ground floor. Each department was housed in one bar giving each discipline a unique identity which is interconnected with a bridge, enabling communication between the different disciplines and representing the inter-disciplinary nature of this learning complex. Student spaces were created as expansions of the bridge areas. These outdoor social spaces and sculptural skylights become the fifth façade and educational components for the students. The project was registered with the USGBC, but the District elected not to certify the project. The team felt the project could demonstrate that a high sustainable quotient is achievable regardless of certification pursuit. The following sustainable features are proof of concept:
• High Performance Low-E glass, energy star roof, occupancy and daylighting controls for lighting coupled with an efficient HVAC system creates a building that is 25.1 percent better than Title-24. Owner incentives received from the Savings by Design program totaled $150,000.00
• Circulation spaces – 100 percent of the buildings circulation spaces are naturally ventilated and climate controlled by the prevailing breezes.
• Drought tolerant material and efficient irrigation systems reduce site water usage by 52 percent
• Building Water Use Reduction of 35 percent from baseline
• Naturally ventilated classrooms and faculty offices- operable windows utilizes prevailing breezes while filtering daylight into the classrooms reducing loads on mechanical systems.
• Natural daylighting – 93 percent of all interior spaces use natural daylighting and are paired with occupancy and lighting controls.
• Views – 91% of spaces have views to the outside
• 100 percent of stormwater is treated on site with landscape bio-swales.
• 64 percent of site is open space and extensively used as outdoor learning environments and social areas for student and staff interaction
• High recycled content construction materials – 100 percent of all finish material used (typically in the classrooms) have a recycled content meeting LEED requirement MR 4.1 and 4.2
C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment
Submitted By: |
LPA, Inc. |
Design Architect: |
LPA, Inc. |
Associate Architect or Firm: |
|
Landscape Architect: |
LPA, Inc. |
Owner / Developer: |
Coast Community College District |
Engineer: |
Structural – LPA Mechanical – TKSC Electrical – K1 Civil – LTI |
General Contractor: |
SUNDT |
Consultant: |
|
Photographer: |
Costea Photography, Inc. |
Orange Coast College, Interdisciplinary Classroom Buildings
Category
Commercial
Winner Status
- Merit Award