MIRAMAR COLLEGE STUDENT UNION BUILDING
WHEN A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE NEEDED TO EXPAND MULTIPLE TIMES IN A FEW SHORT YEARS, THEY HAD TO CONSIDER USING AN EXTERIOR CLADDING PRODUCT THAT WOULD OFFER A COHESIVE LOOK FOR ALL OF THE BUILDINGS. TRESPA WAS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR FOR THE THREE NEWEST PROJECTS ON CAMPUS AND HELPED TELL THE UNIQUE STORY OF THE STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF.
With over 13,000 students, Miramar College was in need of expansion of their Student Union. This needed to be a design that could blend well with the other recent expansions on campus: the Mathematics and Arts & Humanities Classrooms and encompass the vision for the future Administration Building. In late 2009, construction of the Mathematics and Arts & Humanities Classroom Buildings (also designed by NTD Architects, installed by La Mesa Glass) began with a vision of a cohesive design inside and out. Trespa® Meteon® panels had the durability as an exterior cladding option, which was exactly what the architects at NTD Architects were looking for. After completion in October 2010, nearly 34,600 square feet of Trespa® Meteon® was accounted for.
The San Diego Community College District Newsletter recognized Miramar’s use of Trespa® Meteon® as an example of how funding was being used and how the product is a beneficial feature to the new building. Miramar College also highlighted their expansion projects as a recruiting tool for new students, speaking of the new buildings and the unique façades improving the overall look of the campus.
“Trespa® Meteon® panels were used on our campus buildings because they are low maintenance and are attractive; because we can draw multiple sizes along with a variety of colors, we have a lot of design freedom with the panels. The campus is happy with the look of the panels and, as opposed to other materials and products, I have not received any complaints from the maintenance staff.”
- Lance Lareau, District Architect, San Diego Community College District
PROVEN RESULTS
Construction of the Student Union Building started in early 2012, adding another 23,000 square feet of Trespa® Meteon® to the campus. The large curved walls of the Student Union building, which resemble the bow of a ship, offers a prominent feature that designates it as the central building on campus. The installation flexibility features and options for customization made Trespa® Meteon® panels the clear choice for exterior cladding on the Student Union. The Urban Grey Metallics panels were also cut and scored to resemble the planks of a ship adding more unique detail to the campus and the product durability of the panels could stand up to the high foot traffic passing by each day.
Finally, the fourth Trespa project, the Administration Building (designed by IBI Group) was started in 2014. After choosing Trespa® Meteon® for the three other new buildings on campus, it made perfect sense to use Trespa on the Administration Building as well.
A PLACE TO GROW
Four buildings on the campus of Miramar College feature Trespa® Meteon® panels. Using the same panels on multiple buildings, added an interconnected, clean, modern look to the campus. Although the durability of the panels, low maintenance (easy to clean) and product guarantee were very appealing aspects in choosing to work with Trespa, the rain-screen protection, design flexibility and installation flexibility were also main factors when choosing Trespa® Meteon® for the Miramar College projects. ‐
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