Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Las Positas College

Student Services and Administration Building

  • 07/01/14
Las Positas College Student Services and Administration Building 

PHOTOS © TIM GRIFFITH

The new Student Services and Administration Building is a galvanizing addition to Las Positas College. Amidst the rolling hills of Livermore, CA, the spacious campus enjoys tremendous views, but horizontal expansion had led to scattered and remote services. The stakeholder engagement process involved two dozen meetings with end-users to best co-locate, right size and reposition program elements. The design, by Steinberg Architects, resulted in functional adjacencies that best leverage interdepartmental communication and maximizes the efficiency of services.

The solution entails a two-story structure that responds to environmental factors while addressing the many intricacies associated with circulation, way-finding and hierarchy. To take advantage of the visual and physical connections between the interior and the exterior, a double-height glass-enclosed gallery was created that allows for entries on both floors. This space serves as a central organizing element that scales and visibly creates an indelible link between the building and the newly defined campus quad.

The project provides a welcoming and prominent campus gateway and consolidates student services centrally to capitalize on service delivery, while also collecting campus administrative offices in one location. The Office of the President strategically overlooks the Campus Boulevard, which cohesively links the upper and lower campus. Natural light is filtered through expansive window and glass wall systems to enhance visual cues and nurture a healthy work environment. Each of three vice presidents is located within a suite of offices and workstations clustered around a central reception area. All departments share common resources such as conference rooms, workrooms and a staff break room.

The lively cafeteria on the ground floor contains a separate café, while a folding partition provides a discrete faculty/staff dining area. This concept of co-locating food services with staff offices brings vibrancy and energy to the building while providing opportunities for student interaction and engagement with administration.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.