Education — Los Angeles, CA

LA Valley College Monarch Center & Parking Structure

The design-build Student Union is a new hub of activity for students, faculty, staff and visitors at the “heart” of the campus. As a new gathering and meeting place for students, the 41,000 square foot facility brings together student-centered services such as the cafeteria, campus bookstore, Student Health Center/Student Psychological Services, business office, and the Associated Student Union (ASU) offices. It is home to the new Lion’s Den, a dedicated space for students to gather and relax between classes, as well as a coffee bar.

One of the highlights of this new building is a unique “skybox” feature with panoramic views of the campus from the outdoor patio and walkway, with sheltered seating underneath for student gatherings. Additionally, the new cafeteria dining area opens up to the covered outdoor patio that can be used as a student event plaza.

: Design-Build

1,201
: Parking Stalls

Client

Los Angeles Community College District

Architect

LPA, Inc.

Parking Structure

The design-build 352,306-square-foot, 1201-car parking structure has four levels and four aisles of post-tensioned long span, cast-in-place concrete. The façade includes painted cast-in-place concrete elements, and is clad with decorative vertical metal fins and channel glass curtainwall features. Two free-standing elevator towers are each centered on decorative cast-in-place concrete feature walls, and include glass curtain walls with glass-backed observation elevator cabs. The parking structure also includes electric vehicle chargers and a bioswale planter to pre-treat the storm drain run-off water. It also has a car counting system and 16 security cameras throughout. There are storage rooms for the sheriff and maintenance staff.