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BCA Architects

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Paul Bunton and his California-based firm of BCA Architects are top of the class when it comes to educational architecture, completing a variety of projects throughout California.

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BCA: TOP OF THE CLASS

by Joan Tupponce

BCA Architects took top honors in April when the architectural firm’s design was selected for the new campus gateway project at Southwestern College in California. The firm’s design for the seven-acre parcel at the northeast corner of the campus will link Southwestern College to the local Chula Vista community.

BCA was chosen from a starting field of 41 architectural firms.

“It’s an honor to compete with some of the top design firms in the State of California for this project, and an even bigger honor to have won it,” said Paul Bunton, AIA, founding principal of BCA. Bunton founded BCA in 1989 with structural engineer Geoffrey Clifford. The two split the firm in 2004 to follow their separate interests. The firm originally focused on custom residential designs but later moved into retail and educational projects.

“We did everything from small to major projects,” Bunton said. “I had done a series of custom homes for a doctor and that led to multiple contracts for us.”

A practicing architect since 1982, Bunton credits the start of his career to his mother who suggested he get into architecture.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT:

Southwestern College of California As the first phase of a 20 year master plan, the new 141,000 square foot corner lot project will house a community conference center, a campus bookstore, an internet café / restaurant, a culinary arts program, an art gallery, a cultural and continuing education center, a business / instructional partnership center, a public safety center and SWCCD administration. The Latin heritage and culture of the surrounding communities is celebrated in the architectural style of the campus. The design draws inspiration from the traditional architecture of the Yucatan peninsula and the Mayan Indians.

As an extension of the campus, the corner lot project creates a direct physical connection to the community and the city at large.

The six new buildings are organized around a simple axial promenade that connects the upper campus core to the public corner. The corner complex will serve as the public face of the college and engages the community at both the pedestrian level and visually from people driving by in their cars.

Established in 1961, Southwestern College is only institute of higher education located in the southern portion of San Diego County.

Its location—nestled between the City of San Diego and the U.S.-Mexico international border on a 156-acre plot—positions it to play an important role in the intellectual growth of the more than 400,000 residents that call South County home.

Serving approximately 22,000 students annually, Southwestern College offers more than 285 associate degree and certificate options. A host of noncredit courses designed to enhance personal and professional development are also offered through the College’s Continuing Education department. Whether pursuing an A.A. degree, preparing to transfer to a four-year college or university, or acquiring new occupational skills, students attending Southwestern College are given every opportunity to meet their educational goals.

Photos courtesy of BCA.

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THIS PAGE: (TOP) San Mateo High School front entry, San Mateo, Calif.; (BOTTOM) San Mateo High School clock tower, San Mateo, Calif.; (RIGHT) San Mateo High School historic reconstruction of the 1926 building, completed in 2005, San Mateo, Calif.

OPPOSITE PAGE: (TOP) San Mateo High School Ampitheater, San Mateo, Calif.

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AUERBACH Auerbach Pollock Friedlander’s understanding of live performance, theatrical systems and infrastructure informs the work of A&E teams designing the full range of performing arts facilities for opera houses, repertory theatres, concert halls, training facilities, museums, planetariums and popular entertainment venues. They have offices located in San Francisco, New York and Minneapolis.

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“I took a drafting class in high school and it has been my life’s passion ever since,” he said.

His firm got its footing in the educational sector through a local school district portable classroom project.

“We showed them what we could do. We leveraged that project and were given more and more opportunities,” Bunton said. “We went from small projects to $150 million school projects.”

Today, the company specializes in designing kindergarten-through-higher-education school projects. It also focuses on commercial, office and retail projects. “We do very little residential now,” Bunton said.

One of BCA’s early signature projects was the renovation of Washington High School in Fremont, California. BCA became the master architects of the local bond for the $15 million project. The historic 1926-era school building had been closed for 20 years. BCA was hired to determine what could be done with the building.

“We demolished part, restored part and built a brand new high school behind the restored section,” Bunton said. “That was our first signifi-

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cant historical project. Since then we have been zas and water features to connect the existing involved in several others.” campus and the Chula Vista community to the The Washington High project had its challenges, new “main street. especially when it came to reconstructing the “The Promenade will contain various plazas, the much-loved 1924 Italian Romanesque-style campus bookstore, café and cultural center, all building. There were many different opinions with outdoor gathering areas and roof terraces within the 64-person building committee. that can accommodate community functions.

“It was all about consensus building,” Bunton Bunton hopes that designing the bookstore, said. “It had to be a collaborative and transpar- conference center and cultural arts center in the ent process. It allowed us to develop the skills school “will lead to more civic projects.” needed to successfully lead communities through The company, headquartered in San Jose, cura major design process.” rently has five offices in California and a staff of 45.

The five-year project represented a significant “We have evolved into a firm with a lot of skill milestone for BCA. It was the first high school sets that add value to our clients,” Bunton said. the company had completed. That expertise led “What defines our firm is the quality of design. Our BCA to a similar $50 million project in San Mateo designs are functional, practical and logical but County. The 1927 Tudor-style school building had with a creative flair that wins awards.” been condemned in 2001 because it was at-risk Since its inception, BCA has built trusted relaseismically. After meeting with the community tionships with its clients and vendors that have and the building committee, BCA decided to helped the firm achieve excellence in design. tear down the structure, recreate the 1927 façade For example, BCA has worked with structural and build a new structural steel school behind it. engineers at Walter P. Moore Associates on Over the last decade, BCA has developed sig- several projects, including Southwestern Comnificant skills that allow the firm to work with all munity College. BCA is also working with Sundt levels of education, including community college Construction on a new $30 million high school districts such as Southwestern. project in San Diego.

Southwestern Community College is one of In the last five years, BCA has embraced green the largest community college projects in San building principles on all of its projects. The Diego. The $55 million project is scheduled for Southwestern High project will be LEED Platicompletion in 2010. num, the highest of the Green Building Council’s “This project will put us at the next level,” Bun- LEED levels. ton said. “It will give us great credibility in the Bunton’s interest in green building concepts college market.” dates back to his college thesis on alternative The Southwestern Promenade project is a energy sources. contemporary, sustainable solution designed “I’m going back to where I started in college,” around a continuous central axis, referred to he said. “We are building more holistic living as an academic main street. BCA will use pla- environments that are environmental friendly.”

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In addition to providing interior and exterior designs, BCA also helps projects find energyefficient funds; analyzes direct and indirect costs related to maintenance, health, waste and energy use; and integrates sustainability into its designs.

Looking toward the future, Bunton predicts the company will win more educational commissions. “We hope to advance into more civic and university-level work in the next five years.

We are also looking at market sectors such as health care. We continue to grow and add staff. That tells me we are doing a few things correctly.” ALT Thanks to the following partners of Bunton Clifford and Associates for helping underwrite this feature.

www.walterpmoore.com • 800.364.7300 Walter P Moore is an international engineering and consulting firm that specializes in structural engineering, including secure design, structural diagnostics, seismic evaluations and retrofits. The firm also provides parking design, and civil, traffic and transportation engineering. Walter P Moore has worked with Bunton Clifford on many projects including Southwestern Community College, Lincoln Elementary School (Anaheim), and two Burlingame elementary schools, all located throughout California. www.sundt.com San Diego: (619) 321-4800 Sundt Construction provides general contracting, construction management and design/build services for private and public sector clients and is currently working with Bunton Clifford on Sweetwater High School Building 100 for Sweetwater Union High School District.

BELOW: BCA Architects new headquarters located in the historic Arts & Entertainment District in Downtown San Jose, Calif.

All photos courtesy of BCA.

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