Los Angeles Southwest College Student Union

A New Home Away from Home

As one of nine schools within the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), Los Angeles Southwest College is located in West Athens community, between the Hawthorne, Watts, and Compton neighborhoods. Founded in 1967, Southwest College was the fulfillment of decades of hard work, vision, and perseverance by local resident, Odessa B. Cox, and others like her who fought to bring comprehensive education to South Los Angeles. Today, Southwest College serves a predominantly BIPOC student body, many of whom are first-generation college attendees.

While many community colleges typically do not have Student Union buildings on campus, LA Southwest College’s effort to improve student retention and success rates necessitated a space that would serve as a “home away from home” at school. HGA has a long-standing relationship with the LACCD and was brought on board in a design-build partnership with W.E. O’Neil Construction to create a comfortable place and food-service facility for commuting students to congregate between classes.

Breathing new life into what was a former parking lot in the heart of campus, the 35,000 SF Student Union is designed as a restorative place for students to gather, take a break, eat, socialize, collaborate, and study. With only vending machines and food truck currently available on campus, the Student Union features a full-service eatery, café and coffee bar. The program also includes student lounges, multipurpose space, outdoor terrace, Associated Student Organizations offices, administrative suite, and student study and conference rooms of various scales.

With a focus on warm, welcoming, and student-centric interior spaces, the building’s exterior envelope was kept modern and simple. Contrasting metal and fiber-cement panels frame the exterior, while expansive glazing and a second-level outdoor terrace visually connects the interior to the exterior, creating an accessible and welcoming campus presence.

A major challenge for the design-build team was the site’s location sandwiched between two seismic fault lines. The fault lines run east-west diagonally relative to building which allowed designers to create an architecturally unique footprint and creatively integrate cantilevers on upper levels.

By creating a place that feels like home where students feel empowered to achieve great things, the college hopes to encourage leadership, build a sense of ownership, and improve student achievement and retention. The Student Union is targeting LEED Silver-certification, incorporating rooftop photovoltaic array offsetting 15% of the building’s energy, reflecting the Los Angeles Community College District’s commitment to sustainable design.