Neutra’s concepts are a natural fit for new Orange Coast College building

Though the new building on campus is certainly modern, students and teachers at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa can still experience touches of the old structures that helped inspire it.

The 91,037-square-foot, three-story Interdisciplinary Building, which opened in the fall to house math and business programs, features designs influenced by those of Richard Neutra, an architect who designed most of Orange Coast’s buildings in the mid-1950s.

College officials say the older buildings are no longer able to accommodate the school’s rising student population, and they intend to remove several Neutra-designed buildings as part of an expansion and modernization plan called Vision 2020.

“Most of [Neutra’s] original buildings of Orange Coast College were made under a philosophy of design called ‘bio-realism,’ which is the idea that nature is a source of human well-being and we can connect architecture to nature,” said Franco Brown, design director of higher education at LPA Inc., a design firm that drew up the concepts for the Interdisciplinary Building.

The building’s use of natural light and open views of landscaping fit the Neutra approach, Brown said.

The structure’s sides are paneled with orange glass windows.

“Bold and striking colors were used strategically to stimulate and brand the learning environment while enhancing collegiate pride,” LPA interior designer Winston Bao said in a statement. “All classrooms and faculty offices have physical and visual access to outdoor spaces, including views and natural daylight.”

The building consists of two long side-by-side sections referred to as “bars.” One is dedicated to programs in business, while the other is for math. The facility includes 10 computer labs, three lecture halls and 30 faculty offices.

Orange Coast first brought the idea to LPA Inc. in 2006, according to Brown.

“They came to us with what they called a ‘mega building’ that would have multiple disciplines under one roof,” Brown said. “Then we discussed the concept of bars and addressed the idea of a bridge going in between them.”

Between the building’s two bars are courtyard areas with furniture and Internet access.

“By doing this we want to create a social setting for students to wait between classes or to even meet their instructors,” Brown said. “If a building just has classrooms and nothing else, the students would leave the campus.”

Should the college choose, LPA will add more bars to the building for subjects such as social studies and literature, Brown said.

Representatives of Orange Coast could not be reached for comment Thursday.