COLLAB O RATION

HOW DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE BUILDING IN CREATING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT?

The well-being of students, faculty, and staff, and everyone else who comes to CCA, is central to the design. The San Francisco campus is in a semi-industrial neighborhood that lends itself well to becoming maker space, but it doesn’t provide all the other qualities and amenities that a typical college campus has, which support people’s health and wellness. That is one of the reasons why we felt it was so important to create a green upper layer for the campus, and to establish lots of ways that you can access the outdoors. With so many indoor/ outdoor connections, you can walk right out of your classroom and onto a covered porch, or you can enter a maker yard that opens right up from a shop, or you can continue a discussion with your friends outside in a green, planted space—or gather there to play Frisbee. The design allows the CCA community to enjoy all of these amenities that most campuses have, but here, they’re interestingly woven into the post-industrial urban context.

HOW DOES THE DESIGN INCORPORATE STUDENT INPUT?

Student workshops were key to our early design process. We spent six months listening, gathering input, and brainstorming ideas with the CCA community to understand how all of the different departments and people work, and to develop different spatial schemes that could support the unique needs and aspirations we heard. Students told us they wanted hybrid experiences in their art making—those who were learning welding also wanted to be able to work in the wood shop, for example, and other crossovers. That was really exciting to hear and helped inform this unified campus with a unified shop space; everyone is able to safely access everything.

Another insight we gleaned from students is that it’s really important to them to have different kinds of spaces for different types of activities. It’s not all making at CCA; sometimes you need some quiet time and places to study. So, we thought about and designed a whole ecology of different spaces that are needed for students to feel comfortable and do their best work.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE LEGACY OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE?

This project looks forward to what art making will be in the future. CCA has a self-critical attitude: If it’s not working, let’s change it, let’s evolve it. The building allows for exactly that. It will be a place where people want to come to make art for many, many years to come. It’s setting up the school for a very successful future.

CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS CHARTS A VISIONARY FUTURE AS IT REMEMBERS THE PAST.

Since the college’s earliest days, CCA has moved locations several times in support of a growing student body and evolving arts disciplines. Today, we carry forward this legacy while we ambitiously build upon and strengthen a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary art and design education. Here’s a look at where CCA has been and the future we’re making in San Francisco.