Ratcliff Designs Two New Major Additions for Foothill-De Anza Community College

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Ratcliff, the architectural, planning and interiors firm, is leading the design of two major additions for the Foothill-De Anza Community College. At De Anza College in Cupertino, the architects are designing a two-story, 65,000-square-foot Mediated Learning Center, and at Foothill College in Los Altos, they are designing a 56,000-square-foot multi-pod Physical Science village. The Mediated Learning Center is designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® Platinum rating, while the Physical Science Center is designed to earn a LEED Silver rating.  

Ratcliff (http://www.ratcliffarch.com) won a 2009 Community College Facility Coalition Award of Merit for the Project in Design category for the Foothill College Physical Sciences and Engineering Center. Additionally, the Division of the State Architect (DSA) made a presentation on De Anza College's Mediated Learning Center, as it is the first Northern California DSA-approved project with a new seismic bracing system called Buckling Restrained Braces.  These types of braces act as shock absorbers during an earthquake and represent advancements in the field of seismic construction, performing better than typical bracing systems. All new structures complement the existing campus plans and are being funded by proceeds from Measure C.

De Anza Mediated Learning Center

The Mediated Learning Center offers learning opportunities in all forms of media for students of De Anza Community College. The distance learning, technology/media services, and staff development departments are all housed in this new structure.  "Smart" classrooms are being designed to accommodate the latest audio-visual technology to facilitate academic content delivery via videotape, online, and live television feeds, establishing the technological standard for all classrooms on campus.  Courses in world languages, sociology and anthropology will be taught in the building's six 40-seat classrooms, two 50-seat classrooms, and two 100-seat classrooms.  Additionally, there is a 50-seat classroom lab and 25-seat exhibit lab designed specifically for the anthropology department.

In addition to providing modern teaching environments, the Mediated Learning Center will achieve LEED Platinum rating through the use of an innovative buoyancy natural air ventilation system. De Anza College is at the forefront of sustainable design with one of the first buildings on the West Coast to utilize this type of HVAC system.  Photovoltaics, solar thermal collectors, water-efficient fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping, and recycled material content to be incorporated in the new building also contribute to achieving the goal of LEED platinum certification.

The De Anza College classrooms are designed to utilize a standard space module that will allow the college to expand or contract classrooms to accommodate future campus utilization needs.  The use of raised floors to distribute air and power/data infrastructure also support the long-term flexibility and adaptability of the classroom spaces.

The new Mediated Learning Center will sit on the northwest section of campus. It has an east-west orientation for solar collectors and daylighting and is centered on axis with the neighboring historical structure, California History Center. A large plaza space in front of the building provides opportunities for outdoor classroom space as well as space for campus events and informal student gatherings. Terra cotta exterior finishes provide a contextual connection to the current architectural vocabulary on campus, relating to existing terra cotta tiles on many roofs. Exterior metal panels speak to the modern, hi-tech mission of the building, while curving walls at the main entry and curving canopies tie back to the existing tradition of arches currently expressed at De Anza.

Foothill Physical Sciences Village

The scope of the Foothill Community College project encompasses three separate buildings that house the Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Nanotechnology, and Astronomy departments. The Classroom building includes six 40-seat classrooms and two 72-seat lecture rooms, while the Laboratory building holds four chemistry laboratories, two physics laboratories, and three multipurpose laboratories to be shared by the Astronomy and Engineering departments.  The lab building also has a suite for nanotechnology and materials engineering instruction.  The Commons building includes a faculty conference room and a student lounge with coffee shop.  Six "breakout rooms" for informal student-faculty meetings or group project work and a student testing center are located adjacent to the 16 faculty offices.  An outdoor Court and Lower Plaza are designed with displays and outdoor seating to promote the sciences and provide varied opportunities for social interaction.

The Physical Sciences and Engineering Center is a major expansion to an historic and architecturally significant campus dating to 1961. The project posed a number of challenges, from accommodating a demanding program within constraints of site and budget to working within the fabric of the historic campus plan while creating a new state-of-the-art learning environment for science and engineering. The proposed solution incorporates elements of the old campus with new technology, new materials and a new twist on the historical architectural expression, balancing concerns of both advocates of the traditional and proponents of the modern.

Quotes

"The Mediated Learning Center addresses today's higher education trends, including immediate, online access to lectures and academic content.  It's exciting to be building cutting-edge classrooms to accommodate these new developments," says Crodd Chin, Ratcliff Principal and designer of the new De Anza College structure.

"Despite the fact that a growing number of college courses are being offered online, the Foothill-De Anza district is investing in the Physical Sciences structure because it recognizes that students learn science better in a face-to-face environment," said Bill Blessing, LEED®, Ratcliff Associate Principal and designer of the new Foothill College buildings.

About Ratcliff

Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Ratcliff is a recipient of the prestigious Firm of the Year award from the American Institute of Architects-California Council.  Ratcliff's current higher education clients include the University of California, Berkeley; Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California; Monterey-Peninsula College; and Peralta Community College District.  With a staff of 75 design professionals, Ratcliff offers a broad range of services for health care, higher education, and civic clients throughout the Western United States. 

About the Colleges

Foothill-De Anza Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the United States, serving approximately 44,000 students each quarter.  Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the district has served the communities of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and portions of San Jose for more than 50 years. 

SOURCE Ratcliff