Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Golden West College Starts Construction on Language Arts Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/08/21

Construction on a new language arts complex recently began at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif. The college is partnering with Sundt Construction, Inc., on the facility.

“We are excited to continue working on the Golden West campus,” said John Messick, Sundt’s Project Director for the California District Building Group. “Building infrastructure to support remote, in-person or hybrid learning is critical to the success of today’s students.”

The new complex will measure in at 72,251 square feet and stand three stories tall, featuring classrooms and a large reading, writing and resource center. The facility will house lecture spaces for the college’s world languages, ASL, English and speech programs. Other amenities will include gathering, office and support spaces; natural daylighting fixtures; modern LED fixtures; HVAC improvements; and native landscaping.

Project architect HMC designed the complex as two wings connected by a second- and third-floor internal bridge. “Guided by the principle of ‘connection,’ we designed the building to not only connect with the campus aesthetic, but also to provide opportunities for students to connect with campus touchpoints and classmates,” said HMC Design Principal Brett Leavitt.

The HMC Architects’ website also notes that design strategies like natural daylighting and native landscaping give the complex a head start on becoming a Zero Net Energy Building.

The first step of the construction process was the demolition of the long-standing humanities building and health sciences facility. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Compton High School

    Compton High School

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

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.