Los Angeles Valley College, Library & Academic Resource Center
Valley Glen, CA

The new Library & Academic Resource Center at Los Angeles Valley College is intended to serve as the campus\' academic heart, serving the campus\' 17,000 students and replacing the existing library, built in the 1960s. It will house not only library functions, but also the academic resource center, the staff training and development center, and a campus museum/archive. Featured spaces include a computer commons, math lab, writing center, reading center, tutoring center, and five lab/classrooms. The building occupies a highly visible site on the campus green, at the corner of Monarch Square at the ceremonial entrance to the college. The exterior design is consistent with the campus standards developed by the college\'s master plan and uses a range of screen walls to frame outdoor spaces and entrances. The interior planning of the L/ARC places the computer lab as the central nexus of the building\'s programmed activities, with diverse academic and research support activities surrounding it. The building, which is being designed to be LEED certified, is to be fully wired for computer use, with wireless zones that allow laptop connectivity throughout the entire facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009.