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CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE STUDENT SERVICES ANNEX
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA
Photography: Milroy/McAleer
Jury
Comments: The building’s proportions, along
with the high level of detailing, caught the attention of
the jury. The stack bond pattern helps to accentuate the
tall window openings, while the buff colored masonry creates
a strong tie to the landscape.
This small addition to Crafton Hills College needed to
live up to a large reputation. Stuart Williams, a prominent
Palm Springs architect, originally designed Crafton Hills
College in the 1970’s. The campus is constructed from
cast-in-place concrete creating a very consistent and
cohesive design, and a tough act to follow. Cost was
prohibiting the use of concrete as a design material.
Several concrete additions have been constructed over the
years with lesser degrees of success, so we wanted to find a
material that would complement the original structures and
was also affordable to use. Our solution was to use 4”
custom colored precision concrete masonry units and an
adherence to the scale and proportions of the existing
campus.
The project needed to consolidate the campus’ student services functions, but ultimately is to be converted to a classroom building. Another important issue was to provide an accessible route from the two campus levels. We designed a bridge that connects this project to the existing campus fabric, allowing access to an elevator, as well as a gently sloping concrete path.
As it was important for the Community College District to utilize maintenance free materials, the concrete masonry units received a medium sandblast and sealer coat. Other building components consist of anodized aluminum panels and factory coated steel. This small gesture communicates well with the older structures despite a material language barrier.
ARCHITECT:
Thomas Blurock Architects
720
West 17th Street, Unit C
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Thomas
Blurock, AIA
Principal
Kevin
S. Fleming, AIA
Principal
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER:
Ove Arup and Partners
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR:
Hinkley and Associates, Inc.
MASONRY
CONTRACTOR:
RC Tile
BLOCK
PRODUCER:
Angelus Block Company
OWNER:
San Bernardino Community College District
