Jennifer Mers

Building Statistics

Building Name: Rio Hondo Library/Learning Resource Center

Location and Site: 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, California 90601-1699

Building Occupant Name: Rio Hondo

Occupancy or Function Types:

     Primary Occupancy: Library

     Mixed Occupancy: Learning Resource Center

Size: 93740 s.f.

Number of Stories Above Grade: 2

Primary Project Team:

     Owner: Rio Hondo Community College

          Website: www.riohondo.edu

     Owner Representatives:

          Voiza Arnold, Ph.D, Executive Vice President, Academic Services

          Dr. Andy Howard, Executive Director, Planning and Developing Office L-400C

     Architect: AC Martin Partners, Inc.

          Website: www.acmartin.com

     MEP Engineers: GLUMAC International

          Website: www.glumac.com

     General Contractor: AC Martin Partners, Inc.

          Website: www.acmartin.com

     Electrical Contractor: GLUMAC International

          Website: www.glumac.com

     Structural Engineers: AC Martin Partners, Inc.

          Website: www.acmartin.com

     Landscape Architect: WRT

          Website: www.wrtdesign.com

Cost: 22.5 million

Project Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build

BUILDING SYSTEM INFORMATION

     Architecture: The Library/Learning Resource Center that Rio Hondo Community College is adding will be a beacon sitting atop a hill for the city of Whittier. With its glass facade at night it will be perceived as a glowing lantern for the community. It provides a place to study and learn for the students. The project consists of two floors above grade with the stacks being located on the second floor. The first floor contains study rooms, lecture halls, offices, and studios. The second floor consists of more open spaces with the stacks and a large reading/study area. The architect plays with overlapping, multi-level ceiling planes in the large reading area to make the space more interesting. Along with the large public tables in the middle of the area the architect also creates intimate spaces along the perimeter walls of the reading area.

     Building Envelope: The exterior walls are made of precast concrete. Throughout the building there are concrete columns and concrete slab. A glass curtain wall wraps the south facade structure. The glass is Solarban 60 clear vision glass and Solarban 60 clear vision glass with ceramic frit.

The second floor consists of concrete columns, steel beams, and composite decking. The main entrance has an 18" thick concrete shear wall and aluminum glass curtain walls on the other two sides. While walking through the main entrance you walk under an aluminum canopy that extends into the interior of the building. On the north facade lies a steel frame wire glass window.

The larger portion of the roof of the Library/Learning Resource Center is sloped downward from the center of the building towards the outside. The ceiling height ranges from 15'-20'.

     Construction: Construction has not started yet. Because the site was the former Putnam Student Center Building the concrete walkways, retaining walls with footings, grass, trees, site lights with poles, fixture, base and footings, catch basins, vaults and meters, and utilities that interfere with the new infrastructure all need to be demolished and removed from site.

     Zoning and Historical: Site is former Putnam Student Center Building. Must salvage and relocate on campus two oak trees and 13 fan palm trees.

     Major National Codes: 2001 California Building Code

LEED Requirements

CEC 2001 - NEC 1999

CMC 2001 - UMC 2000

CPC 2001 - UPC 2001

     Electrical: The electrical system of the Library/Learning Resource Center contains both standard 208/120V and 480/277V. The electrical system calls for two 150 kVA, 480-208/120V transformers. The system also contains 8 loads of 150A at 120/208V and two loads of 225A at 277/480V. One 20kVA central inverter is also included in the electrical system.

     Lighting: Lighting in the Library/Learning Resource Center consists primarily of fluorescent lamps running from 277/120V. Metal halide lamps are used for a few areas such as the entry exterior glass wall, exterior signage, columns, and in special areas of the lobby.

Due to the large focal point in the lobby that extends to the top of the ceiling at 38' high, metal halide floor recessed luminaires are used to achieve the best uniformity on the three panels. The lobby also consists of an exhibit area that used (2) 20w T4 CMH, in a combo light that can allow for accenting the exhibits. Because the lobby is a two story atrium, metal halide lamps are used at the entry to achieve the correct light level. The fluorescent lamps did not have the output to the put the correct light level in the space because of the high ceiling. The lobby also contains recessed adjustable wallwash troffers that provide light for the walls under the open walkway. In the lobby the bridge contains recessed downlight to provide adequate lighting under the bridge.

The stack area had to be lit from stack mounted fluorescents due to the architect's desire to keep the ceiling clean from a ton of fixtures.

Due to the LEED credit, daylight sensors are needed around the glass curtain wall on the south facade of the building. During the day surface mounted fixtures around the glass wall should be turned off to save energy when not necessary.

The classrooms, offices, and private offices all consist of pendant mounted indirect/direct linear acrylic patterned diffuser luminaires. Back of house rooms contain just simple strip lights with wire guards for functionality.

     Mechanical: The mechanical system of the variable air volume system of the Library/Learning Resource Center contains:

Five fan coil units located in the Dean's Office, Library Meeting Room, Extend Hours Study, and two Teleconference Lounges. The fan coil in the Dean's Office is rated at 275 cfm. The fan coild in the Library/Meeting Room is rated at 700 cfm. The fan coil in the Extended Hours Study is rated at 1600 cfm. And both fan coils in the Teleconference Rooms are rated at 1200 cfm.

Two air handling units located on the roof service each floor separately. The first floor air handling unit is rated at 45,000 cfm and the second floor unit is rated at 52,000 cfm.

One plate and frame heat exchanger

Four sound traps that are sized from 42,000 - 52,000 cfm.

Four exhaust fans that are located on the roof and service toilet exhaust, electrical room, and the elevator machine room.

One hot water pump that is located on the ground floor in the mechanical room.

     Structural: The structural system for the Library/Learning Resource Center consists of structural concrete columns, beams, and slab. The floor is made of 5" concrete slab on grade. The second floor is comprised of steel beams and composite deck with a lightweight 2.5" concrete fill. All steel deck is continuous over at least three spans except on single spans which are noted on the drawings.

On the south facade along the galss curtain wall, the roof overhangs at 2'6" providing a window shade.

In the lobby, there is a steel frame bridge that runs across the lobby on the second floor. There is also a skylight that runs along the long axis of the lobby that is 4' wide and runs the length of the lobby.

     Fire Protection: Construction is Type II 1-hr, fully sprinklered

     Plumbing: Awaiting complete set of plumbing drawings.

     Telecommunications: All rooms except back of house rooms contain telephone lines and are internet accessible.

     Transportation: Two elevators service Rio Hondo's Library/Learning Resource Center. One is located central to the building and the other is near the entrance to the lobby. Being that the building is only two floors the main access is the stairwell from the lobby up to the second floor. There are also two exterior stairwells that lead down from the second floor.

     Special Systems: No special systems.