Santa Ana College Debuts New Student Center

Santa Ana College, located in Santa Ana, Calif., debuted its new $60-million student center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the evening of Tuesday, July 27. The Johnson Student Center measures in at 63,642 square feet and was funded through Measure Q bond funds approved by voters in 2012. The student center represents the penultimate district project that will be paid for with those funds.

“Based on recent social media engagement, students are excited to experience in-person this state-of-the-art building come this fall,” said Dalilah Davaloz, college spokeswoman.

The two-story facility will house financial aid offices, a campus bookstore, a health and wellness center, a cafeteria, and a student lounge area featuring billiards and table tennis tables. The new Johnson Student Center replaces the old student center of the same name, which was torn down in 2018.

The college partnered with HPI Architecture for the project. The facility is on target to be granted LEED Silver Certification. The college will hold an open house and hourly campus tours on Wednesday, July 28, and Thursday, July 29.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Indiana University Launches Capital Campus in D.C.

    Indiana University recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new IU Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., according to university news. The eight-story facility will provide a central hub for the university’s existing programs and business operations based in D.C., uniting them under one roof and providing the opportunity to expand.