HGA has received an Award of Excellence by the Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC) for Saddleback College Computer Science and Math Building.
The Computer Science and Math Building, in development at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, advances the flagship Computer Science and STEM programs, providing a career-focus platform for educators and industry experts to engage future professionals in a growing STEM job market.
The three-story building includes active learning labs, collaboration resource center, faculty pods, and community spaces. Special STEM-focused spaces feature a cybersecurity lab and server on the first floor that places engineering on display, and a cloud room with periscope oculus window that offers a quiet study retreat.
HGA’s design team led a series of work sessions with college leadership, faculty, and student representatives to complete a master plan that connects to the South campus through architecture, landscape, movement, and programming. A stepped composition of three glass pavilions navigate the site’s unique hillside topography on three levels, creating an iconic image for the new building.
Landscaping includes a pedestrian bridge and plaza with native, drought-resistant planting. Additionally, an amphitheater nestled in the hillside cascades toward the second level, while rooftop terraces, a green roof, and expansive windows reinforce connections between indoor and outdoor experiences.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2022, with completion in 2024.