In support of West Los Angeles College’s goals to create a state-of-the-art campus for their expanding student populace, Gotama Building Engineers is part of the design team to build new LEED-certified Classroom and Student Services Buildings.

Facing each other across the central plaza, the Classroom Building will primarily be devoted to Language Arts, and Behavioral and Social Sciences. In addition to the labs, offices and general classrooms with support spaces such as meeting rooms, the building also includes a “smart” classroom with cameras, connecting to satellite uplink and telephone systems for distance learning. The curtain-wall system designed by WWCOT supports the LEED-certification and Title 24 goals for the building by raising the percentage of window-to-wall ratio, allowing for better ventilation and natural daylighting. Among the other sustainable features are waterless urinals and push-button faucets in the restrooms, and a variable air volume system regulated by thermostat; air flow is controlled by occupancy sensors. Just over 50,000 sq. ft., the building is a winner of the 2004 AIA Inland California Chapter Awards for “Unbuilt” Project.

The Student Services Building is designed as a 50,000 sq. ft. “mirror” of the Classroom Building, with offices, meeting spaces and administrative functions augmented by a full kitchen and dining area for staff and students that extends to the outdoors. By incorporating many of the identical features to the envelope, the Student Services Building is designed to meet and exceed Title 24 requirements by 15%. In addition, the engineers met with representatives of the Southern California Gas Company throughout to facilitate the Savings by Design process which offers financial incentives to promote economy in energy usage.

Subsequent to the building system and lighting design for the exterior, Gotama Building Engineers was contracted to design the low-voltage placement of ten emergency “blue phones” to be integrated with the existing campus security system; these phones are an essential tool for a modern campus that operates both day and evening class schedules.

Client: West Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Community College District
Architect: WWCOT
Location: Culver City, Ca.
Completion: 2009