Chino Hills Government Center

New civic center designed around the natural landscape

Part of a mixed-use, master-planned community, the Chino Hills Government Center was designed to be the heart of the city. The center consists of a 56,000-square-foot city hall, a 28,000-square-foot library, a 30,000-square-foot sheriff's facility and a 15,000-square-foot fire department. A central plaza serves as a civic gathering place for the community.

The project grounds itself in the local topography. Each building is anchored by extra-thick accent walls clad in natural stone. The rough-hewn material relates to the rugged hills that form a backdrop to the site. Four columns support a massive “floating” roof; a breezeway connects entries between the city hall and library. The breezeway shades lobbies and also frames views to the freestanding fire station on the opposite side of plaza. For the exterior, designers chose colors typical of southwest arid regions: beige and tan, ochre and sienna.

Sustainable features include daylit interiors, as well as water conservation and stormwater management strategies. The design team also incorporated a native, drought-tolerant landscape.