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

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.