Sustainable and Socially Connected DCE Building for UC Irvine

LMN Architects Create Sustainable and Socially Connected Division of Continuing Education Building for UC Irvine

LMN Architects have designed a new heart for UC Irvine's Division of Continuing Education program, with the aim of creating a social nexus for students from diverse backgrounds. The building is designed to be woven into the campus fabric and responsive to the local climate, with indoor and outdoor functions blending together into a pattern of fluid interactions. The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) creates opportunities for life-long learning for a wide range of traditional and non-traditional students, with a progressive approach that emphasizes connectivity across communities at all scales.

Site and Program

The new facility is located on the rapidly developing east side of the 1,500-acre campus, and anchors a cluster of buildings dedicated to the DCE program. The site previously lacked a campus identity within the UCI framework, so new classrooms, offices, collaboration spaces, and informal lounges were added to expand the program's offerings and redefine its educational mission. The U-shape of the new building presents a strong westward orientation to the campus center, embracing the existing buildings as a village and connecting to the academic core via pedestrian bridge.

Design

LMN Architects created a lively, buzzing social environment through the intersection of multiple circulation pathways and open, daylit informal spaces. The central courtyard organizes the design, giving users a sense of connectivity with the program as a whole, as well as the larger campus and the Irvine landscape. Stacked arcades surrounding the courtyard create an additional layer of connection between floors. The upper level arcades are enclosed in glass, reflecting the need for separation of the administrative and faculty functions on these floors, while the lower student levels spill directly into the social energy of the courtyard through an open portico.

Sustainability

The LEED Platinum sustainability strategy is felt most strongly in the design's response to the climate of Southern California and its indoor-outdoor continuity. The central courtyard soaks up sunlight from the west, while strategically mitigating the impact of glare and heat through a porous trellis patterned with 25-kW photovoltaic panels. The depth of the courtyard and the pattern of panels are carefully calibrated to achieve a comfortable, inviting infiltration of sunlight at all times of day. The sense of immersion in the ecology and landscape of the region continues throughout the interior, with column-free office floors and floor-to-ceiling windows offering daylight penetration and striking views that bring a unique character to every part of the building.

LMN Architects have successfully created a socially connected and sustainable Division of Continuing Education Building for UC Irvine that is responsive to the local climate and woven into the campus fabric. The design emphasizes connectivity across communities at all scales, from the regional to the international, and integrates distance learning functions with on-site classrooms and nodes for social interaction. The central courtyard and stacked arcades surrounding it create a lively social environment, while the LEED Platinum sustainability strategy is felt most strongly in the design's response to the climate of Southern California and its indoor-outdoor continuity. The building is a welcome addition to UC Irvine's campus, and a testament to LMN Architects' commitment to sustainable and socially responsible design.

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