The Southern California Development Forum (SCDF) recognized three HMC-designed projects, Cuyamaca College Student Services Building, Del Oro High School, and Resilient Roots, with a design award at the SCDF’s 2024 Design and Philanthropy Awards.
Cuyamaca College Student Services & Administration Building
Merit Award: Educational
Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, California, has a beautiful hillside campus with a lush and iconic central campus green space. Making access to services and support as easy as possible for the school’s 8,000 students was a driving concept of the design. Built into the slope of the hillside, the building is accessible from multiple levels. The entire circulation scheme is driven by the desire to create a seamless service experience while maximizing connection with the landscape. Engagement begins at the new arrival plaza, where visitors are greeted by the new welcome center and can access all levels of the building, including the rooftop garden, by dramatically cantilevered walkways and a monument stair hanging over the plaza below. Accessible indoor and outdoor spaces lead from admissions and financial aid on the first level, up through enrolled student support on the second level to the renovated Student Center, and upward with a new ADA path of travel to the top of the renovated central green space. The new building puts students at the center, fosters community, and provides a centralized hub of services at the center of campus.
Honor Award: Unbuilt Concept/On the Boards/Under Construction
Resilient Roots is more than just a project—it’s a testament to the enduring resilience of black Americans, a commitment to sustainability, and an homage to Allensworth California’s unwavering spirit. This transformative initiative confronts historical adversities head-on and turns them into invaluable community assets. From tackling water scarcity to reclaiming arsenic-laden soils, Resilient Roots emerges as a beacon of sustainable farming and resilience in the face of adversity. With a strong focus on community well-being and growth, the design team embarked on a mission to craft an enriching equity center that equips the community with the resources for self-sufficiency while simultaneously establishing a resiliency hub Central to their vision of celebrating the town’s rich history and a commitment to fostering economic growth.
Merit Award: Interior Architecture
A 77-acre canvas in Bakersfield, California, has transformed into an innovative high school fostering sustainability, student well-being, and empowerment for at-risk learners to reach their full potential. Kern High School District (KHSD) is reshaping the future of education for its students and community with Del Oro High School. The new campus encompasses 200,000 SF of innovative student instruction spaces and services, supporting the growth and development of 2,500 students. Every aspect of student life has been thoughtfully considered, from administration and counseling to food service, performing arts, and athletic programs. The campus center building is a vibrant hub, housing the library and cafeteria while facilitating community engagement. With its 600-seat theater, the performing arts center sits proudly at the public-facing corner, serving as a beacon of light, engaging the public to participate in captivating performances and events. The shared athletics complex offers modern facilities, including a three-court gym, locker rooms, sports fields, and a future-planned aquatic center. These well-designed spaces foster collaboration, creativity, and student pride. At the core of the new campus’s design philosophy lies the concept of NextGen learning environments. The goal was to create fluid learning spaces that adapt to different educational delivery methods, group sizes, and technology integration. Flexible interior and exterior spaces provide opportunities for collaboration and accommodate diverse learning styles and programs. Maker spaces and collaboration areas are incubators for creativity and innovation, empowering students to think critically and problem-solve. The use of glass walls in the flexible interior space not only incites curiosity in passing students but also promotes an open and transparent learning environment that fosters a sense of interconnectedness and collaboration within the school community.
SCDF brings Southern California’s leaders together to network and learn about the latest trends in their cities. The annual awards program celebrates Southern California’s best built and unbuilt projects, recognizing the best in the region’s development. To learn more, visit the SCDF website.
