Vanguard University Breaks Ground on Student Center

Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA, broke ground in November on a new $23 million, 35,000-square-foot Student Center, which will serve the immediate needs of the university’s current enrollment and provide additional space to accommodate future growth.

Vanguard University Student Center

The new state-of-the-art steel-framed structure will replace the existing student union and feature a 16,000-square-foot cafeteria, 3,000-square-foot fitness center, and 8,200-square-foot multipurpose events space. It also will include a student lounge with ample seating, a fireplace, and café.

The building’s roof will feature a trellised deck and fireplace, and other outdoor dining and gathering areas will be constructed around the perimeter of the building to promote student, faculty, and staff interaction.

Designed by HPI Architecture and built by C.W. Driver Companies, the building will reflect a traditional Santa Barbara style that complements the existing architecture on campus, incorporating a smooth plaster finish, limestone veneer, and clay tile roof.

Completion is anticipated for Q4 2019.

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.