Sacramento City College - Natural Sciences Building

Building for the Future

HGA worked with the Sacramento City College (SCC), the oldest of several colleges within the Los Rios Community College District, to create a modern learning space that fosters a dynamic working environment while also meeting the standard requirements of a science building.

Having worked previously on SCC’s campus, HGA was selected to design the college’s new 54,000 SF Natural Sciences Building, which houses the two-year community college’s science program. SCC’s main objective for their new building was for HGA to design a state-of-the-art facility with LEED Gold standards while still being architecturally consistent with other buildings at SCC and within the Los Rios Community College District. 

A key design challenge HGA faced was merging the more traditional aspects of the building with technologically advanced features. To meet this goal of campus leadership and ensure the new building was designed consistently within its context, HGA maintained the classic brick walls and clay tile mansard roofs that unify the campus. 

A second challenge that arose during the design process was providing modern learning spaces that promote collaboration and flexibility while also meeting the standard programming requirements of a science building, such as labs, classrooms, and lecture halls with stadium style seating. Besides creating a safe and highly functional space, the goal was to provide SCC with an environment where students, faculty and staff enjoy learning and teaching.

In addition to laboratories and laboratory support spaces, the building includes general education classrooms, office space, and outdoor spaces, where students will be able to meet with cohort groups, encouraging students to continue the learning experience when they exit the building.

This building marks the continuation of successful partnership between HGA, Sacramento City College, and the Los Rios Community College District as a whole.