Riverside City College, Reconstruction of Life & Physical Science Buildings

Riverside, CA

Reconstruction and modernization of the campus’ Life Science and Physical Science buildings into a new interdisciplinary complex. The new facility’s centralized education and computer information system features instructional, lecture, lab, office, and library spaces as well as AV/TV, network and security operations centers, and cyber security lab.

A primary goal was to keep the existing buildings and repurpose them, despite each building being over 60 years old. Furthermore, we were tasked with adding a portion of a new classroom building adjacent to the existing and on a sloping site, which presented many complexities and challenges. We worked quickly to identify key structural elements that were required while also identifying other structural elements that we could sacrifice to improve the space program, open up the rooms, and bring in natural daylight. This resulted in a series of retrofit details to structurally improve the remaining columns, beams, and walls, but doing so with a state-of-the-art programmatic layout; hence, overcoming many complex design problems with strengthening using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP).

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