This headquarters building for the Social Sciences Division provided faculty and staff office space for its 11 departments, as well as meeting rooms, computer technology laboratory spaces, and special laboratories for the anthropology department.

The building sits on a ridge along a walkway running the north-south length of the campus. Views to the Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel Mountains are preserved to the west and east. Because of the area’s year-round moderate climate, none of the spaces are air conditioned and the corridors are all open to the exterior. 

A carefully designed window system for each office allows for views while mitigating the heat load of intense sunlight. A large tinted glass window is centered in each space and has internal horizontal blinds to control daylight. It is flanked by a pair of inswinging casement windows each with adjustable external louvers to allow fresh air while blocking sunlight. A band of frosted glass runs along the top of each window assembly to allow a soft daylight glow when the blinds and louvers cut out direct sun.

¹Associate-in-Charge with Gwathmey Siegel & Associates

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