STV Wins Award of Excellence for Laney College Master Plan

OAKLAND, CA — STV’s work on the Laney College Facilities Master Plan received an Award of Excellence in the Master Planning category of the 2014 Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC) Professional Design Awards Program.

Laney College, located in urban Oakland and part of the Peralta Community College District, was designed in the 1970s with an inward focus, purposely cut off from nearby amenities and surrounding neighborhoods, which was in line with the urban design and instructional practices of the time.

The new Facilities Master Plan (FMP) creates a roadmap for development in sync with the 2010 Laney College Educational Master Plan, which aims to open the campus up to the community and encourage students to successfully pursue their educational goals. The plan was created through a collaborative process led by the Laney Facilities Planning Committee, which included the college president, faculty, administration, students, community members, facilities and sustainability staff, maintenance and operations staff, IT staff and local district leadership.

STV is promoting a community environment in the FMP through several key design features, including a west entry with an art garden that opens up to the nearby Oakland Museum of California for joint programs, a larger green quad with views and access to the adjacent Merritt Channel Estuary, and athletic facilities that can be used for community events. The FMP also creates additional entry points that are distinct and recognizable, and locates community-oriented buildings at campus anchor points. Art and sculpture pieces will be located along walkways and within smaller gardens and courtyards throughout the campus, uniting the college and providing additional learning opportunities.

About STV
Founded more than 100 years ago, STV has become a leader in providing architectural, planning, engineering, environmental and construction management services for buildings, transportation systems, infrastructure, energy and other facilities. The firm is ranked 42nd in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms survey. STV is 100 percent employee-owned. For more information, visit our website at www.stvinc.com or follow @STVGroup on Twitter.

About The Community College Facility Coalition
The Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC) was formed for the purpose of providing advocacy for facilities issues and providing critical information and services to community college districts and their business partners on facility matters. The organization provides a strong voice before the state legislature and administration on facilities issues of concern to the community colleges.

Featured

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.