Palomar College Teaching and Learning Center

A flexible, future-focused design for a community college

This 7,200-square-foot building serves as a destination and meeting point for students and staff. The college’s goal was to develop a center where “students and faculty can come together and exchange ideas and promote a deeper level of student and faculty engagement,” including spaces for counseling, tutoring, workshops, academic instruction, training and career planning.

The low-maintenance, single-story building is dynamically enclosed in glass and metal. The floor-to-ceiling glazing on the south and west façades create a welcoming, open space for visitors, while the metal paneling shields interior spaces and draws inspiration from the existing architectural vocabulary on campus.

A key priority was designing the building to adapt to the school’s future needs. A raised floor system with under-floor air and power/data distribution coupled with modular walls allows easy and cost-effective reconfiguration in the future.

The award-winning design features an open tutoring lab, a multipurpose classroom, study rooms, offices and a faculty resource center, all of which support the college’s academic goals and professional development.