Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Claremont University Consortium

Administrative Campus Center

  • 07/01/14
Administrative Campus Center for the Claremont University Consortium 

PHOTOS © MICHAEL MORAN

This new Administrative Campus Center for the Claremont University Consortium (CUC) in Claremont, CA, consolidates the majority of CUC departments and services into a single location. LTL Architects designed the interior and exterior adaptive re-use of an underutilized 42,000-square-foot maintenance building to house CUC’s administrative functions. The new Administrative Campus Center is a vibrant work environment and a collective gathering place for both CUC and the broader community. The project received LEED Silver certification.

To redefine the building’s character, LTL wrapped a continuous cedar surface around the existing frame. The ribbon works with the existing sloped geometry of the building, but moves free of the existing shell to produce exterior gathering spaces. From the entrance, the cedar slips into the interior, framing a new reception area and café. The screen continues from the café out to the south patio, defining a very large multipurpose area. Where this cedar ribbon passes over windows, the spacing of the cedar panels is incrementally increased to allow light in.

The interior of the building takes advantage of the high ceiling and the large spans of the existing steel structure, providing an open office space. Expanded windows along the perimeter in combination with 168 skylights provide enough natural light to all work stations so that artificial illumination is not needed during the day, greatly reducing the building’s energy consumption.

Forming an interior cloud across the entire building, the ceiling unifies the space, and assists with sound mitigation in the open offices. Emerging from a central spine of red carpet is a wide stair, which provides bleacher-like seating for large gatherings. The stairs take advantage of the ceiling height by creating space for a new kitchenette beneath and a cactus garden above. The resulting design is an efficient yet creative environment with a collective, egalitarian atmosphere.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.