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Building Program Update- April,
2005
The Roadrunner Report
Measure A planning and implementation continues as Rio
Hondo College prepares for construction.
LIBRARY AND LEARNING RESOURCES CENTER
Architects Craig Wilson and Gail Bouvrie of AC Martin
Partners presented drawings and elevations for the new
Library and Learning Resources Center (LRC) at the Board
of Trustees meeting in March.
The unveiling of the LRC design to the Board followed
months of preparation. The architectural team held a
series of meetings with Library and LRC staff to work
out details of the interior configuration as well as
discuss exterior design concepts in the context of the
vision articulated in the Master Plan. "The user group
process has been extremely inclusive and collaborative,"
said Voiza Arnold, Executive Vice President of Academic
Affairs. "There has been much dialogue between college
staff and the architectural team that has achieved a
design that all segments buy into."
Overall, the new Library and Learning Resources Center
will be 90,000 square feet. Usable Library space will
increase from 32,000 square feet to more than 37,000
square feet. The new complex will complement existing
buildings at Rio Hondo while reflecting the unique
topography of the campus. As envisioned, the second
floor of the complex will house the Library facilities,
including a glass-enclosed reading room with dynamic
views across the valley. The first floor devoted to
writing and reading program facilities as well as
distance learning, a multi-media production studio and
teleconferencing capabilities. The LRC will also
incorporate space for extended study hours as well as
smart study labs, classrooms, meeting rooms and study
areas.
The Library and Learning Resources Center will be
located across the lower quad from the Campus Inn. The
exterior of the two-storey facility is designed to
harmonize with the geographic contours of Rio Hondo
College's hillside campus and complement the existing
architecture. The building will also incorporate
sustainable design and construction principles for
efficient use of space and resources.
"The building design is bold and dramatic while at the
same time providing enhanced functionality for both the
library areas and the learning resources areas, "
according to Dr. Arnold. "It will truly be a signature
building for the campus and become the anchor of the
lower quad."
The LRC design will be submitted for cost estimating as
part of the steps in design. The designs will also
undergo value engineering, a process during which
experts examine the project designs to see if there are
ways to save costs. "We've already trimmed some costs
during design," said Ms. Bouvrie. "For example, we
substituted a less expensive but equally durable roof
material after we realized the only people who would
ever see the roof are those who fly over in an
airplane."
"I thought the process was a good one. The architects
were very responsive and the resulting plans look
wonderful," said Vickie Sartwell, Dean of Student
Learning Support.
The architectural team finalized the preliminary
drawings which have been submitted to the Chancellor's
Office for approval. Once approved by the Chancellor,
the construction documents for the project will be
finalized and submitted to the Office of the State
Architect for approval. This is anticipated to happen by
mid-November of 2005.
At a special meeting in March, the Board authorized
contracting with Glumac International to help implement
a previous resolution by the Board to incorporate
ecologically sound and environmentally friendly
principles of sustainability into design and
construction of campus facilities under Measure A.
Founded in 1971, Glumac International is a leading
engineering firm specializing in sustainable design and
construction.
Consultants and staff expect to break ground on the
Library and Learning Resources Center late in 2006. The
building is scheduled to open in 2008.
"The Library/Learning Resource Center will be a resource
for students, staff, and the community," said Dr.
Arnold. "It will offer areas for quiet individual study;
group study areas for interaction; reference and
research support; general tutorial services; and
learning support for English, ESL, foreign languages,
and reading."
GEOTECHINICAL STUDIES
Construction equipment related to Measure A arrived on
campus for the first time when MACTEC, our geological
testing consultant, drilled for soil samples in the area
where the new Library and Learning Resources Center will
be built. Technicians drilled several areas to sample
for soil stability. In two places, holes three feet in
diameter were drilled and a geologist was lowered to a
depth of forty feet to observe conditions and take
samples. All indications are that the area is very
stable and will easily support the Library and Learning
Resources Center.
SURVEYING
A team from Nolte Associates, Inc. was on campus in
March to begin surveying the campus. Nolte also
conducted a "flyover" survey to better review and plot
topographical conditions of our campus.
CAMPUS MASTER PLAN
Master Plan refinements are ongoing as projects are
prioritized and cost savings opportunities examined. The
project remains on schedule with a June 30, 2011 overall
completion date.
The Board authorized negotiating with Vantage Technology
Consulting Group as advisor for all technology
components for the infrastructure and building projects.
Consideration is being given to moving the tennis courts
from the top level of the new parking structure to the
lower campus. That would place more parking at the top
of the campus while leaving the tennis courts easily
accessible to all users.
It is anticipated that the Final Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) will be completed in mid-October, ahead of
schedule.
Still to be determined is which projects will be
submitted for state funding consideration.
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