L.A. City College Recognized for Design Excellence

LOS ANGELES — The new Los Angeles City College (LACC) Student Union has received a 2014 Design Award at the 44th Annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards. Presented by the Los Angeles Business Council, the awards celebrate the region’s new and innovative architectural achievements.

Recognized in the education category, the new Student Union at LACC is a multi-story, 63,040-square-foot building anchoring the south side of the campus core. According to a release provided by designer Harley Ellis Devereaux, also of Los Angeles, “The design celebrates diversity and community, envisioning a flagship facility that is sustainable, timeless and celebratory of the campus’ Hollywood history and legacy.”

The $35 million Student Union was designed to serve both college students and the local community, and houses an extensive range of services, organizations and multi-use interior and exterior spaces. In addition to providing space for a bookstore, convenience store, computer lab, food court and student government offices, the structure also houses the LACC Foundation. It was completed in late 2012 as part of a more than $600 million program managed by Harris & Associates of Concord, Calif. to renovate and modernize the campus in an effort to keep students more engaged in their learning environment.

"This striking new student union is destined to be one of the most popular and heavily used buildings on campus,” said Renee Martinez, interim president of Los Angeles City College, in a release highlighting the facility’s dedication. “With multiple meeting spaces and the services students want and need, this will be a center of student life."

The building is also designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, and features a number of green components. Sustainable design strategies including solar shading, daylight harvesting, natural ventilation, thermal mass, night flush and photovoltaic energy augment energy efficient MEP systems. Meanwhile, an interactive information kiosk in the lobby describes the building’s sustainable features and systems.

According to a release issued by LACCD Builds Green, the Student Union also uses low flow appliances and native, drought resistant plantings to reduce water use. To decrease energy costs, the project takes advantage of natural light where possible and uses the concrete in the building to assist with both heating and cooling. Solar panels support the building’s energy needs, and low emitting carpets and paints were also integrated to improve air quality.
The project was the first LACC facility to be delivered through the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). It was also honored with a Western Pacific Region Excellence Award in 2011 from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), and the Educational Category Design Award of Merit in 2014 from the PCBC Gold Nugget Awards.

The Los Angeles Architectural Awards are presented to entire project teams – including the building owner, designer, contractor and developer – for their contributions to exceptional design in L.A. County. A distinguished jury of owners, contractors, architects and civic leaders selected the 2014 winners from hundreds of submissions, and awarded the Grand Prize to the new Emerson College Los Angeles facility in Hollywood.

“The L.A. Architectural Awards celebrate truly outstanding projects that demonstrate an unyielding commitment to great design and meaningful sustainability,” said Los Angeles Business Council President Mary Leslie. “Today’s winners enhance our quality of life and prove that Los Angeles remains a global hub for world-class architecture.”