Located in Orange County, Calif., Santiago Canyon College serves the needs of more than 17,500 students. A central part of the campus is the new 60,000-square-foot science center that features lecture spaces, laboratories and offices in two separate two-story structures connected by a single walkway. Design for the project was provided by Irvine, Calif.-based LPA Inc. Because of the campus’ prime location amongst valleys and its visibility from a number of residential areas; necessity dictated that all new buildings maintain a roof form. As a result, the campus skyline is enhanced with each new structure providing building profile and pedestrian overhangs.
Creating a high-tech and modern building that fits with the rest of the campus remained an integral part of the science center’s design. The use of 27,000 square feet of metal composite material wall panels from Citadel Architectural Products Inc., Indianapolis, served to give the science center a contemporary feel on the interior and exterior of the building. The science center’s prominent stair tower is clad with 9,000 square feet of Citadel Envelope 2000 Rout and Return (RR) System metal composite material panels finished in Santiago Silver. Approximately 18,000 square feet of Citadel SinoCore panels were used in soffit and fascia applications on both buildings.
Since the use of Citadel’s metal panels work to create a modern yet simple aesthetic, installation of the SinoCore panels was also quick and easy. Installation of the Citadel panels was done by Gardena, Calif.-based Best Contracting Services who routed the RR System panels in its shop and delivered the 5- by 12-foot panelsto the job site flat where they were formed.
Architect Young Min, LEED AP, of LPA Inc. notes, “The aluminum composite panel system together with burnished concrete masonry units are incorporated into the Science Center’s design for timelessness, and to foster a new image for the Santiago Canyon College campus, a hub of education for the 21st century. For a center to have that futuristic look with roots embedded in the past, the contrast of the old material, the block, and the new material, the metal panels, make for a good fit.”
“Installation of the SinoCore was quick and easy,” says Assistant Project Manager Maria Alimagno, with Best Contracting Services. “The biggest challenge on the job was the tight working space on the interior of the stair tower and between the two buildings.”
The use of Citadel panels in Santiago Silver allows the building to blend in with the surrounding campus complex including the newer buildings such as the Library/Learning Resource Center completed in 2006 and the Orange Education Center. All three structures incorporate metal panels or roofing to create a clean contemporary look that is reflected throughout the campus.
Citadel Architectural Products Inc., www.citadelap.com
