Student Life

The 302,689 SF facility is situated on a sloping site with four-and-a-half levels. There are 998 parking spaces in the structure and 128 surface lot spaces. The partial level serves as an entry point to the structure on the site’s lower side. Several design elements break up the building’s exterior, making it less imposing. Rather than being hidden inside, the structure’s elevator tower and outdoor stairwell provide design interest as well as make it easier for visitors to find their way through the building. The exterior façade has a decorative, cast-in-place concrete wall with colored cement tiles and stainless steel perforated panel fins. This new structure meets LEED standards for sustainable design while also blending seamlessly into its surroundings. Solar panels incorporated in the structure’s roof have reduced campus energy costs by 25 percent.

This 17,000 SF classroom building is the final piece in Chapman University’s long-planned completion of the historic core campus. 

Completed in 2013, the hall is designed to reflect its historic counter parts built from 1913 to 1921. The building is designed with collaboration spaces which are meant to be less formal environments where faculty and students can meet.

The Center for the Arts at Pasadena City College brings together the disciplines of art and music in one facility. The goal was to create an environment that would inspire creativity, challenge the imagination, and encourage collaboration between the visual artists and musicians while carving out a distinctive home for both. Through the design process the team discovered the unique needs of these two departments and the potential to capitalize on the inherent artistic connections. Complex programmatic issues were resolved while introducing a dynamic collage of forms, materials, and colors that fits seamlessly into the campus.

The three-story, 87,000-SF building program includes a 94-seat lecture hall, 1,200-SF gallery space, art labs and studios, 88-seat Little Theater, 225-seat recital hall, music classrooms, rehearsal spaces, basement level support spaces and studio/labs for jewelry, photography, cinema, drawing, painting, digital, printmaking and sculpture. Due to the cross-disciplinary functions of the building and programmed space, careful consideration was given to acoustical treatment and separation. Lighting and theater equipment were carefully coordinated with the structure and building systems.

URBNMRKT, a grab ‘n’ go deli and future bar, occupies the former loading dock of a four-story building that now houses the University of Southern California's (USC) administrative offices. Fronting Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles and occupying three truck bays and 7,000 SF, this new urban-chic hangout has its roots deeply grounded in its industrial/operational history while its furnishings and interior design maintain a home-grown, modern vibe. Exposed stainless steel clad walls and fixtures, doors and the bar are juxtaposed by warm bamboo strand board wall panels. Custom-designed leather lounge chairs and ottomans are paired with off-the-shelf tables and bar stools with hand-painted legs. Simple glowing bulbs in custom steel armatures hang from the 18-foot ceiling, which was painted white to mask the old ducts, conduit and pipes.

The kitchen features a custom light installation as its primary source of light, spelling out “URBNMRKT” with stick fluorescent fixtures on the ceiling. The graphics throughout the space are hand spray painted stencils, further authenticating the urban industrial look and feel. In the rear of the space a continuous angled mirror reflects the huge graphic along the storefront. Beneath the mirror, three dock levelers were maintained and repurposed as leather booths, featuring the original dock leveler number stenciled on the diamond plate hanging over each booth.

With the original roll-down doors in place acting as security shutters at night, the new storefront wall is recessed, forming alcoves into which German biergarten tables are nestled amidst potted plants along the street.

This establishment not only continues USC’s drive to provide excellent amenities and first-rate dining options for its student and faculty but showcases the possibility of bringing in patrons from surrounding neighborhoods. This new model of authentic, non-corporate, home-grown design along with first-rate food and beverage offerings is a success for the students, university and local community alike.

Adjacent to the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Architecture & Roski School of Fine Arts, the 790 SF Shop Café is designed to provide a convenient grab ‘n’ go coffee shop for the students and is a continuation of the University’s long-range plan to provide quality on-campus food service to the student body and faculty.

The existing shell, a former student wood shop for the architecture school, was gutted and all remaining elements were painted yellow. The interior architecture consists of a mosaic tile ‘wrapper’ that warps and transforms to seamlessly integrate all functional elements: the condiment counter, the recycling center and the stand-up bar where patrons can enjoy their drinks. The simple wall graphics liken a museum or gallery tag that announces its title, contents and patrons as the media of this living sculpture.

AC Martin provided a feasibility study, programming report, and architectural/interior design services for this addition and renovation project. The interior renovation includes a living room surrounded by multipurpose spaces, the admissions office, a new faculty club and several types of foodservice. Adjacent to the faculty club on the third floor is a new rooftop terrace featuring planters, built-in seating and an outdoor living space centered around a fireplace.

Flexibility in programming and overlapping functions informed the design of the facility. Integrating foodservice and entertainment venues was important. The ability to host larger performances and concerts was achieved via operable walls and by designing and specifying light modular furniture that could be pushed aside to accommodate an audience. 

Throughout the space, warm yet modern materials and furnishings were selected to make the center less institutional. Walnut paneling wraps existing concrete columns and forms louvered screens between programmatic functions. These screens allow for visual connectivity while still providing physical separation, breaking down the large space into comfortable nooks and seating areas. Exposed ceilings, carefully located soffits and use of existing ceiling elevations allowed for an economical design that is rich and visually interesting. Glowing pendants, floor lamps and indirect lighting provides the space a feeling of hospitality and an almost residential scale. Furnishings are soft, yet durable and the seating is designed to be light, moveable and inviting.

This new freshman housing complex is a significant addition to San Diego State’s student life program. Located on a long and narrow site on the west side of the campus, Huāxyacac Hall joins with an existing 600-bed dorm to create a new freshman village, tailor-made for first year students.

Huāxyacac Hall was designed to address the unique needs of first year students, including amenities such as a community kitchen, community center, market and coffee shop to encourage socialization and interaction with peers. The project was also designed to address a burgeoning demand for affordable housing. This involved tripling the double rooms and turning triples into quads to give maximum flexibility in accommodating students and handle the constant ebb and flow of students matriculating at SDSU. The building provides a focused, age appropriate freshman experience, a “place to call home” for students that will aid in recruitment and support the University’s goals for student success by bolstering SDSU’s retention and graduation rates.

Other features of the project include apartments for staff, multi-purpose rooms, mail room, courtyards, indoor bike storage, small study lounges scattered throughout, and a plaza that can accommodate food trucks and farmer’s market vendors.

The Ronald Tutor Campus Center provides a dramatic and elegant space consistent with the University of Southern California's (USC) reputation as a world-class university of the 21st century. At the heart of the Campus Center is a grand outdoor plaza, a gathering and dining area that has become the heartbeat of life on campus. Every design and programmatic element—lounges, study areas, meeting rooms, food service, student forum, and outdoor space—of the 193,000 SF building is devoted to fulfilling USC’s mission. The Campus Center has transformed USC by uniting the Trojan Family and giving the Trojan Spirit a place to thrive.

Located at the heart of USC, the Campus Center is used by virtually every person who passes through the campus. The new complex connects the Gwynn Wilson Student Union and the Pertusati University Bookstore with new dining options, student life and involvement space, and offices for Admissions and student organizations.

As the University’s “town hall”, the center provides meeting rooms and offices for student programs and organizations, lounges, entertainment facilities, dining and retail locations, conference rooms, a multi-purpose room and open spaces where members of the USC community can study, read, relax or socialize. Additionally, the Center houses the Trojan Family Room in the main entry, a warm and inviting space with a fireplace and soaring beamed ceilings, which serves as a greeting area and dramatic introduction to the facility and campus.

The Alumni Center is a home away from home for Trojan alumni. The Admission Center provides a place for prospective students and parents to become acquainted with the University through tours and orientation in the Admission Theater. Through the involvement of Hospitality, a variety of popular food venues was conceived, including a traditional food court with exterior take-out windows, café offering healthier cuisine, fine dining restaurant, and deli featuring multiple food stations.