$400 Million Project Begins at L.A. College

TORRANCE, Calif. — Construction has begun on one of the largest projects in a nearly $400 million construction program that will improve the facilities and infrastructure at El Camino College.

 

The community college, which serves a population of 28,000 students, has undertaken a facilities master plan with funds from a $394 million bond measure – passed in 2002 and is the largest bond ever for a single-campus community college in California. Funds from the bond will support development of new classrooms, labs, instructional equipment and critical health and safety improvements at the college.

 

Taisei Construction Corp., based in nearby Cypress, and the architectural firm, LPA Inc., headquartered in Irvine, have begun construction on a new $20.6 million Math, Business and Allied Health Building on the community college campus.

When completed in December 2011, the 115,000-square-foot, four-story structure will house 72 faculty offices, 58 classrooms and three division suites.

 

Construction of the cast-in-place concrete structure will create approximately 200 jobs.

 

Design officials expect to save 10 percent in construction costs by using cast-in-place concrete verses a steel frame.

 

"Instead of having 15-foot floors, we were able to cut down each floor’s height by three feet," says Steve Flanagan, principal and lead designer for LPA. "Our design saved about 7,200 square feet of building structure and finishing materials associated with it."

 

"The reduction in the overall size of the building also means that there will be much less square footage to heat and cool," says Flanagan. "Since the concrete will be exposed, contractors will have to construct the concrete as a finished material."

 

While the project is not pursuing a LEED certification, when finished it will be equivalent to a LEED Silver-rated building. Sustainable features of the L-shaped building include low-flow water fixtures, a roof that uses a white vinyl membrane to reduce heat buildup, and a variety of green and permeable ground materials to facilitate storm runoff. Inside, occupancy sensors and naturally lit areas will reduce energy consumption.

 

Flanagan says that the building’s rubber, linoleum and concrete flooring will last longer and result in lower maintenance costs.

 

Recently, El Camino College opened a $13 million Learning Resources Center, which houses a basic skills lab, campus archives and digital processing center. In 2008, the college completed a $30.9 million, three-story humanities building, where 13 computer labs, 49 offices, and classrooms are located.

 

Future plans call for a new stadium, student services center, math and computer science building.