Antelope Valley College’s (AVC) Sage Hall won the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Southern California Chapter Project Achievement Award in the higher education category. The annual Project Achievement Awards Program recognizes outstanding achievements in construction management and recognizes professionalism and excellence in the construction management process.

AVC is a critical educational resource in a region with higher-than-average poverty and unemployment rates. Sage Hall plays an important part in the college’s mission, providing a friendly, helpful environment for learning with a mission of removing obstacles to success and giving students the tools they need to thrive. At its heart, AVC’s Sage Hall provides students with a supportive, collaborative space where a diverse community of learners can discover, develop, and stay on track, reducing drop-out rates and leading to success. The design team worked closely with the dean of rhetoric and literacy in a series of workshops, from the broad strokes of programming and site planning to focused meetings on furniture. At each step, the dean was a tireless advocate for the college’s new vision, helping the design team liberate the users to see new possibilities. Key goals drove our design: remove the stigma of seeking help, make the Academic Commons visible and easily accessible, and design diverse environments to support both students and faculty and improve their experience.

The award was presented at the CMAA’s 29th Annual Awards Gala in Long Beach, California. For more information, visit the CMAA-Southern California website.