Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Orange Coast College Breaks Ground on New Chemistry Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/13/23

Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., recently announced that it has broken ground on a new, $32.5-million Chemistry Building, according to a news release. The space will stand two stories and measure in at 43,800 square feet to include nine laboratories, lecture halls, meeting spaces, and faculty offices. The college is partnering with building company C.W. Driver and architecture firm tBP Architecture.

The project will involve the demolition of the vacant Literature & Languages Building, for which a replacement complex opened up in spring 2021. C.W. Driver was also the builder for the new Literature & Languages / Social & Behavior Sciences Complex, as well as other recent additions to the campus including the Kinesiology and Athletics Complex and the Student Union Complex.

The Chemistry Building will feature amenities like upgraded technology and infrastructure, exterior circulation and HVAC systems, outdoor study spaces, a social deck, and main lobby, the news release reports. It will increase available laboratory space by 60%, including accommodating larger classes and providing more individual workstations.

“Seeing these new buildings take shape on campus, and knowing that we have been a big part in their creation, brings us great satisfaction,” said C.W. Driver Companies Project Executive David Amundson. “We are proud of our longstanding partnership with the District and look forward to working on this newest addition.”

The project has an estimated completion date of December 2024, according to the news release.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • 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.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.