Two LPA projects earned top honors in the 2020 Community College Facility Coalition (CCFC) Professional Design Awards. The Palomar College Learning Resource Center (LRC) received the Award of Excellence in the Growth Category and Palomar College’s South Education Center received the Award of Merit in the Modernization Category.
The awards program honors projects from architects and California Community College Districts that reflect the mission of the CCFC to deliver facilities that enhance student learning.
“We are honored to be recognized by the CCFC again this year,” says LPA Director of Higher Education Steven Flanagan. “These awards are a testament to our integrated team’s process that delivers better results project after project.”
Palomar College LRC is a modern interpretation of a library with open, bright spaces that will serve multiple purposes now and into the future. Certified LEED Gold, the 85,000-square-foot, four-story facility serves as the heart of the campus, prominently and proudly located along the primary student walkway that connects campus buildings to an arrival plaza with a large outdoor social space for students.
Palomar South Education Center transformed an abandoned four-story, 110,000-square-foot office building into a vibrant college campus. Programming was arranged vertically to take advantage of the hillside location with elevated views. Transparent stairwells were added to improve circulation and meet code requirements. Student services are found on ground floor, classrooms and faculty offices on the middle floors and a library that serves as a destination for students is located on the top floor.
“I believe that LPA’s integrated design team has designed facilities that reflect the District’s mission to provide engaging teaching and learning environments for students of diverse origins, experiences, needs, abilities, and goals,” Flanagan says. “Our commitment to listening and implementing our client’s visions are what make our higher education projects so meaningful and beautiful.”
LPA has won a CCFC award every year since 2008, Flanagan says. With the new awards, LPA has earned 25 CCFC awards since the program was launched.
The CCFC Professional Design Awards Ceremony will be held online Thursday, Nov. 12, following the group’s virtual general session.
