Earlier this month, Los Angeles Pierce College marked the start of work on a 56,000-square-foot expansion of its Woodland Hills campus.

The school's Academic East Building, which will be an all-electric building adorned with rooftop solar panels, is slated to become home to the Pierce College Math, Psychology and Computer Science Departments.

“The voters of Los Angeles have entrusted LACCD with nearly $15 billion in public funding to deliver innovative and sustainable learning environments at LA Pierce College and throughout our nine colleges,” said LA Community College District Francisco C. Rodriguez in a news release. “Since 2001, LACCD’s bond-funded capital improvement program has made the promise of projects like the Academic East Building a reality. These investments not only provide state-of-the-art facilities, but also fuel student success and empower the communities we serve, ensuring that every student from every zip code has access to the resources they need to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the vibrant future of Los Angeles.”

Groundbreaking for the Pierce College Academic East BuildingLACCD

The low-rise structure, designed by HED, is adapted to the warm weather of the west San Fernando Valley which punched windows that provides natural light, but also minimizes solar heat gain. A courtyard will sit at the center of the building, with a tree grove above a 3,800-square-foot bio-filtration planter.

"A dedicated approach, entry, image, and experience for AEB that builds a sense of community among students and faculty," states a narrative from the HED website. "An intimate courtyard experience leads you to the main building entrance and the central lobby creates a special campus hub. The correlation between courtyard, entrance, and lobby will aide intuitive wayfinding and easy orientation within the building. An arcade provides outdoor shaded study areas for individual and group activities and studies. "

Construction of the Academic East building is on track to occur by early 2026.

McCarthy Building Companies is serving as the project's general contractor.

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram