| Situated at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Arts Complex project includes a master plan, interior and systems renovation in two existing buildings, and the construction of two new buildings. At the heart of the master plan is the creation of an "Arts Village" that consolidates the college's once scattered arts program. The new buildings, built for just over $250 per square foot, total 52,000 square feet and are keystones in the implementation of the master plan which accounts for further art program consolidation on campus and growth.
As the literal and symbolic gateway into the Arts Village, the larger Art Center frames views of the mountains to the north while its cascading stairs heighten the sense of entry into the campus to the south. A student gallery, located at the Art Center's main entrance, is designed as an arts beacon on the northern edge of campus. Its strategic location at the building entrance ensures that students will be exposed to "what's going on" in campus arts. In addition, the two-story gallery serves as a small events space, with the mountains and student work as its backdrop. Challenged with a program consisting of many light-sensitive "black box" spaces-such as lecture hall, broadcasting, digital media, photography and multi-media-the design utilizes the topography and views to address programmatic needs and highlight entrance into and out of the campus.
The Art Center and smaller Music Building to the south reinforce circulation and gathering areas within the precinct's existing buildings while fostering interdisciplinary interaction among students and faculty. Expansive windows and bi-fold doors within the Art Center, for instance, creates transparency between indoor and outdoor activity, while the building itself strategically sits as a campus grand entry point, providing a visual reference to the new Arts Village.
The two buildings are the first step of giving built form to a new campus master plan that promotes the college's goal to create an arts community that fosters contemplation, stimulation and discussion, as well as inspires students and faculty as individuals who contribute to their cultures and communities. The addition of these two buildings strengthens the emerging Arts Village, enabling the college to meet its strategic goal of promoting arts on campus.
Client Quote:
"One of my favorite things to hear coming from students when they talk about our new buildings is how it makes the campus feel more like a four year college than a community college."
Michael Dinielli, Dean of the School of Visual, Performing and Communication Arts
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