SMC Student Services Building
Santa Monica, California
The new Student Services Building at Santa Monica College, a three-story multipurpose building and underground parking garage, joins disparate groups of administration programs within a single building. A dilemma inherent in the project was the immense amount of small, dense programmed space required, combined with the desire for the project to serve as the new public face and space of the college. The solution, a permeable box, lightens the program at the site and detail scale to enable public flows between the community and campus. It formalizes a new entry into campus for both pedestrians and vehicles. Material also reinforces the permeability of the dense program. Extensive use of natural light through glazing and light wells minimizes the need for artificial lighting, bringing light into the center of the building and providing courtyards for student gatherings. Meeting rooms, classrooms, and lounge areas are distributed along the building’s central spine to create a comfortable welcoming environment for waiting students. A strong commitment to the minimization of a building’s environmental impact resulted in a LEED Platinum certification.
Additional Information
Associated Firm
Bernards Brothers Inc.; KFPP Consulting; P2S Engineers; Melendrez Landscape Architecture; PAL id Studio; MDC Engineers
Featured in
2022 Educational Interiors Showcase
Interior category
Student Centers/Service Areas
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