Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects

    • Projects
    • West Valley College, Visual Arts Building
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    West Valley College, Visual Arts Building

    Status

    Completed, 2023

    Size

    20,000 sf

    Client

    West Valley-Mission Community College District

    Scope

    Programming, Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation, Construction Administration

    Project Team

    Mark Cavagnero
    John Fung
    Ellen Leuenberger
    Olga Luebker
    Simon Newton

    Project Collaborators

    General Contractor: N/A (handled as multi-prime)
    Owner’s Representative: Gilbane
    Executive Architect: TLCD Architecture
    Civil: CSW Stuber-Stroeh
    Landscape: Quadriga
    Structural: IDA Structural Engineers
    Mechanical/Plumbing: Guttman & Blaevoet
    Electrical/Lighting: O’Mahony & Myer
    Fire Protection: Engineered Fire Systems
    AV/Security: Salter Associates
    Energy: In Balance Green Consulting
    Architectural Photography: Henrik Kam

    Description

    The new Visual Arts Building at West Valley College’s Cilker School of Art and Design transforms a quiet quadrant of the academic campus into a vibrant hub for art students and the greater college community. Nestled among oaks and redwoods, the 20,000 square-foot building promotes interaction between the activities inside and the natural surroundings, featuring generously glazed curtainwalls and exterior circulation shaded by louvred canopies. Located on a heavily wooded sloped site, the building is carefully threaded among existing trees, allowing the natural setting to permeate the interior while prioritizing flexible spaces throughout to support the School’s diverse art curriculum. The hilly site made possible a double-height gallery space and a flexible studio, which serves as an extension of the gallery, a public meeting room, or collaborative project space. The integrated layout of the metal/woodworking shop and kiln/foundry area further support the studio curriculum.  Five day-lit art studios, which wrap around a central courtyard anchored by a heritage oak tree, are connected and have direct access to covered outdoor spaces for expanded use. The exterior plaza encourages cross-pollination of disciplines and stimulates creative exchange among students.

    Location

    Recognition

    Awards

    International Design Awards, Commercial Architecture – Cultural/Educational Category – Silver, 2024
    AIA Redwood Empire, Design Awards – Award of Merit, 2024
    Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, 2024
    Chicago Athenaeum Green Good Design Award, Green Architecture, 2024