| The District's mission is to provide neighborhood higher education to a diverse population that is currently under serviced within the District. The College purchased a 3.9 acre site in Newport Beach, California that has been undergoing a mixed-use transformation. The site is bordered by a large open natural preserve, residential, and light industrial areas. The challenge of this project was taking the educational spaces ranging from adult education, to science labs and a community art gallery that were previously spread over 10.5 acres and fitting them onto the 3.9 acre site.
The solution was to go vertical. The 66,800 square foot “Learning Center” steps from a one-story building on the west to a three-story building on the east. The three-story component is comprised of two-floors floating above portions of the parking at grade. The roof of the one-story component transitions into a living green roof and outdoor student quad that affords ocean views, while integrating the site and building together with the local climate.
The Learning Center maximizes not only natural daylight, but also natural ventilation, as all circulation spaces are naturally ventilated. The majority of the time the building operates in air-side economizer mode, taking advantage of the temperate climate and thermally stable mass of the building to provide “free air-conditioning” while enhancing the indoor air quality of the facility.
The structure of the building consists of cast in place concrete frames, walls and floors. The east façade is articulated with punched openings that are protected with an aluminum screen. The west façade employs a three story glass enclosed open air atrium that allows filtered daylight into the classrooms and protects from the wind and rain. This naturally ventilated central atrium becomes the heart of the campus providing the main social space and complimenting the more structured interior classroom spaces. The atrium allows students to interact and study in a protected but outdoor environment while taking advantage of the ocean views and the mild coastal climate.
Sustainable Features
The Learning Center incorporates many sustainable design strategies that enhance the experience of learning including:
25% - 30% of building energy comes from renewable solar resources.
25% of building area is protected exterior space: energy savings over the life of the building.
80% of usable spaces have direct access to natural light.
80% of feasible spaces were given operable windows for mixed-mode natural ventilation.
Viewed as a model of sustainability for the client, the center is on track to receive LEED Gold Certification from USGBC and is a Savings by Design participant beating Title 24 by 33%.
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