West Valley College, Saratoga, Calif., serves more than ten thousand students on the western edge of Silicon Valley, 50 miles south of San Francisco. Its student center dates to the early 1970s—concrete construction, limited visibility to the outdoors, not much flexibility to its spaces, and a hard-to-follow circulation plan. To add to the problem, a new building cut off two nearby plazas from each other, rendering them largely unused.
The college brought in BFGC-IBI Group, San Luis Obispo, Calif., to address these problems. The design firm employed folding glass wall partitions (in this case, the NanaWall SL70 Folding System) to replace the single-glazed storefront windows. One of the installations links the two previously separated plaza spaces, creating a new circulation artery and breathing new life into the plazas.
Another installation in the student center has a fully operable wall of glass, which enables the college to rent the space for weddings and parties, providing a new source of revenue. An interior partition installation enhanced visibility between previously obscured areas of the student center.
Related Stories
| Apr 6, 2012
National Association of Women in Construction forum to be hosted in Philadelphia
The April Forum, titled “Declare your Independence!” will feature educational sessions on topics ranging from Managing the Generation Gap and Dealing with Contract language across state borders to Strategic and Succession Planning.
| Apr 6, 2012
Rooftop solar energy program wins critical approval from L.A. city council
Los Angeles Business Council applauds decision allowing LADWP to create new national model for rooftop solar energy
| Apr 6, 2012
Batson-Cook breaks ground on hotel adjacent to Infantry Museum & Fort Benning
The four-story, 65,000-ft property will feature 102 hotel rooms, including 14 studio suites.
| Apr 6, 2012
Perkins Eastman unveils Qatar mixed-use sports complex
Home stadium for Lekhwiya Club a vibrant addition to Doha’s architectural identity.
| Apr 5, 2012
5 tips for a successful door and window retrofit
An exclusive tip sheet to help the Building Team manage door and window retrofits successfully.
| Apr 4, 2012
Educational facilities see long-term benefits of fiber cement cladding
Illumination panels made for a trouble-free, quick installation at a cost-effective price.
| Apr 4, 2012
HDS designs Mount Auburn Hospital’s new healthcare center in Waltham, Mass.
HDS Architecture provided design services for all the Mount Auburn Healthcare suites including coordination of HVAC and FP engineering.
| Apr 4, 2012
Bald joins the Harmon glazing team
Bald has 13 years of experience in the glazing industry, coming to Harmon from Trainor where he was the regional manager of the Mid-Atlantic region.
| Apr 4, 2012
JCJ Architecture designs New York City's first casino
Aqueduct Racetrack complex transformed into modern entertainment destination.
| Apr 4, 2012
San Antonio animal hospital earns LEED Platinum certification
Middleman Construction Company builds the city?s first commercial building to earn certification.