CONTEXT
Pomona College is a residential campus committed to providing its students with a full living and learning experience. As a residential college, students are expected to live on campus all four years, participate in the life of the college on campus, and interact with other students in the residence halls, dining halls, and throughout campus activities. A primary goal of campus life is to promote a safe and sustainable community. Physically the Pomona campus is organized by a hierarchy of axially oriented open spaces linked by pedestrian pathways.
SOLUTION/DESIGN
The primary architectural challenge for the new North Campus Student Housing project for Pomona College was to create a building complex that fit both the much loved traditional campus and the functional program while simultaneously being of the 21st Century. A distinctive-but-compatible approach was adopted early in the design process, and the modern architectural response clearly connects without copying; the new architecture departs from the Campus’ red tile roof vernacular with flat roofs that harvest energy, but exterior sun shades made of terra cotta - a specific response to the harsh solar conditions of the semi-desert landscape of inland southern California - elegantly reference the roof tiles of existing buildings.
The exterior material palette is warm and natural, echoing the historic buildings on campus. Yet the design employs state-of-the-art technologies and many sustainable strategies making the buildings feel current. One example is the use of thermal mass as an energy conservation strategy achieved by a cast-in-place concrete structure and 11 inch deep precast concrete exterior walls, with punched openings of the same dimensions as the adjacent exiting 1920’s hall, reflecting both the massing and the materials of the existing campus. The result led to this project being the first LEED Platinum-certified student residence hall in the state of California.
PROGRAM/SCOPE
The residence halls consist of two “L”-shaped buildings, giving a three-story face to Amherst Avenue to the east and stepping down to two-stories towards the existing residence halls to the west. At a combined 81,000 square feet, the two buildings have a total of 150 students in suites with individual bedrooms. The project includes an underground parking garage for 170 cars constructed beneath Sontag Hall and the relocated natural turf Athearn Field. There is also an apartment for visiting faculty in each building and one staff apartment. Every suite contains a group living room, individual bedrooms and toilet and shower facilities.
SPECIAL CHALLENGES/UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS
Throughout the design, special attention was paid to sustainable materials and features, including thermal mass construction, photovoltaics, thermosyphon hot water, drought-resistant landscape, and extensive use of re-cycled materials. The building also incorporates a significant internal recycling program, a green cleaning program and a public education programs. Sustainable features are also demonstrated in two roof top eco classrooms.
BUDGET/COST
The project was constructed for $42.6 million and completed in 2011.
|
