Locally based DLR Group designed a 13,600-square-foot addition and 6,000-square-foot modernization, tripling the size of both the culinary classroom space and on-site Oak Café. School Construction News spoke with DLR Group Designer Chris Brown about the project and what it means for American River College students.

Q: What was the project’s primary goal?

Brown: The existing teaching facility was small and inadequate, restricting student enrollment and creating a wait list for classes. It also included The Oak Café, a four-star fine-dining establishment serviced by culinary students and only open for lunch, which had a bakery display case by the entrance. The café was turning away as many as 200 diners a month and the bakery was selling out every day. Storage also was an issue; catering equipment was stored in Tuff Sheds and shipping containers.

This 13,600-square-foot addition and 6,000-square-foot modernization triples the size of both the academic components of the program and the dining capacity for The Oak Café. The expanded Oak Café and addition of the retail bakery improves the dining experience for visitors and strengthens the school’s commitment of service to the community. The design creates an environment that fosters authentic, real-world learning experiences and enriches the lives of the student body and the community. It promotes student-instructor-community interaction and collaboration, reinforcing the value that future leaders of the restaurant industry bring to our community.

Q: How will the new addition and modernization enhance the student experience?

Brown: Students in this program are already in high demand in the local workforce, and this project will only enhance their culinary experience. Efficient layout of spaces, which includes state-of-the-art equipment recommended and used in the industry, provides students with more real-world education and training. The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program is self-sustaining through revenue generated by the café, bakery and catering businesses, eliminating the need for students to pay any additional lab fees. Interconnected lab spaces and transparency into the labs allows students and visitors to observe the action, which encourages collaboration in the learning process.

Q: What are some of the project’s key design elements?

Brown: Oak Tree Design Concept — With the four-star Oak Café previously in an obscure location behind an existing building, this concept creates a clear entry statement and destination point for visitors. The entry and lobby design, inspired by an oak tree, takes the abstract form of a tree trunk that branches out into the other areas of the building. The floor and walls reflect growth rings of an oak tree.
Programmatic Efficiency — The floor plan maximizes academic programs and fosters interactive learning. The main kitchen in the middle of the building increases functionality and gives direct access to the café dining room, four kitchen labs and a joint-use ware washing and storage area. Learning and public spaces are connected, encouraging interaction between the public and students.
Campus Gateway — Located prominently on campus, the new building is the main gateway onto campus. It is a beacon to the community and unifies the culinary building and the fine arts complex. The exterior reflects a similar palette of color, materials, scale and mass as the surrounding buildings, and gives a strong identity to the campus while blending harmoniously into the context.

Q: How was new technology integrated in the facility?

Brown: The high-tech spaces for instructor-student interaction resemble the real-world working conditions of the industry, with state-of-the-art equipment recommended by community partners. Video equipment in the demonstration kitchen allows students and visitors to observe the action up close on screen.

Q: How is this project different from those you’ve completed in the past?

Brown: The amount of community involvement, including donors and alums, was extensive. They played a key role in promoting the program through fundraisers such as Forks and Corks. The idea of creating a place that produces top local chefs and bakers is very satisfying, especially when you can go to the Oak Café and sample their cuisine.

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School Construction News spoke about the key components driving today’s higher-education design with four industry leaders: Jeff Larsen, AIA, principal, MVE + Partners; B.K. Boley, senior principal, ADD Inc., now with Stantec; David Short, AIA, principal, KSQ Architects; and Jeffrey Fenimore, AIA, principal, national higher education sector leader, DLR Group.

Q: What are some of the biggest drivers in school design today?

Larsen: In student housing design, rising costs of over 6 percent escalation on the West Coast is a driver for compact development. That means building at higher densities and decreasing average unit sizes. A key component in making density successful is mixed-use. Whenever we can, we promote the integration of amenities and services into the envelope of the building. The added benefit of this is that it gets the students out of their rooms and connects them socially.

Boley: Short- and long-term energy efficiency and sustainability are strong drivers but are coupled with great strides in space efficiency through the creation of very flexible but highly used areas that can be a social lounge, project team room, informal classroom or group activity space.

Short: Budget is always a significant driver, particularly as many public universities have seen their state funding drop significantly in the years following the Great Recession. Many states are gradually upping their commitment to higher education funding, but most remain below pre-recession funding numbers. Universities are also acknowledging the importance of non-academic social spaces, such as student unions, so spaces where kids can enjoy a “campus living room” are becoming more important.

Fenimore: Student recruitment continues to be a primary driver as higher-educational institutions seek ways to attract top talent. Student housing, wellness centers, dining halls and other student life facilities are some of the more typical facilities because they impact and appeal to a broad array of students. Students expect these facilities to match the quality and amenity level they find in market-rate housing, local restaurants and fitness centers. These facilities are often featured on student recruitment tours and, even with the rising costs of tuition and housing, new facilities are highly appealing to incoming students.

Make sure to check out the March/April issue of School Construction News for the complete Design Roundtable.

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