Los Angeles Valley College Breaks Ground on Academic Complex

Los Angeles Valley College in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new Academic Complex Building in conjunction with Los Angeles Community College, according to local news. The 84,000-square-foot, three-story structure will replace a facility from the 1950s and include a lecture hall, computer labs, smart classrooms, and a skills demonstration and test room.

It will also play home to administrative space for the college’s departments of business administration, computer science information systems, emergency services, mathematics, psychology and statistics, and sociology/ethnic studies. Improvements to the overall site are set to include an 11,000-square-foot below-ground stormwater retention system, new pavement, and drought-tolerant landscaping.

The project has an estimated completion date of 2025, according to local news.

“We are happy with how this new facility will support and improve students’ learning,” said Board of Trustees President David Vela. “In addition to offering necessary services, the new structure will help students fulfill their educational aspirations. The Los Angeles Community College District is devoted to giving students access to high-quality, affordable educational opportunities. This will prepare them for new job paths.”

The San Fernando Valley Sun reports that the project will cost about $90 million in total.

The project, Academic Complex 1, is part of a larger $704-million renovation and building campaign to renovate its existing facilities and build new, more sustainable ones. Existing academic buildings will be outfitted with new technology and more modern energy-efficiency standards, according to the university website.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition

    Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.