By Lindsey Coulter

SAN FRANCISCO — City College of San Francisco has officially opened its new Student Success Center, a $141.8 million facility designed to consolidate more than 30 student services under one roof and provide a clear gateway to the Ocean Campus.

The 80,000-square-foot building will serve as a centralized hub for student resources and a new entrance to the 67-acre campus. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Aug. 28, marking the completion of the progressive design-build project delivered by XL Construction and Gensler, in collaboration with construction manager Kitchell.

The Student Success Center houses admissions and records for both credit and non-credit students, financial aid, outreach, student affairs, student health services, student activities, counseling and tutoring as well as career, transfer and international student counseling. The all-electric facility is LEED Silver certified and net-zero ready.

“As a community college grad and someone who has been deeply involved in this project since 2020, I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and eager to see the positive impact it will have on our students and community,” said Erin Allred, Project Executive at XL Construction, in a statement. “It is because of the collaborative delivery approach CCSF chose that we are standing here celebrating the building’s opening today.”

The design emphasizes efficiency and collaboration. By consolidating departments that were previously spread across 10 campus buildings, planners reduced the overall space needed by 6,000 square feet. That optimization allowed the college to invest in more durable finishes and building systems.

“The building is like a flag for CCSF at the corner of Frida Kahlo and Ocean Avenue, saying Welcome!, We are here!” said Sandy Mendler, Design Principal and Education Practice Leader for Gensler, in a statement. “The design is all about offering a clear front door to campus, and a ‘flow through’ lobby that will encourage students to become familiar with the building and the services it offers all in one place, rather than distributed across the campus.”

CCSF Chancellor Kimberlee S. Messina, who began her role July 1 after six years leading Spokane Falls Community College, called the project a major step in improving equitable access.

“We’re thrilled that academic counseling, tutoring, admissions and records, the career center, and transfer center, the Queer Resource Center, and much more are under one roof,” Messina said in a statement. “Centralizing these resources in a single, accessible location enhances the overall student experience, particularly for historically marginalized populations. This integrated model of service delivery is a strategic investment in equitable access, student retention and long-term enrollment growth.”

The Student Success Center was designed through CCSF’s shared governance process, incorporating input from across the college community. Leaders said the facility will play a critical role in enrollment growth and student retention by providing easier access to essential services.

“First and foremost, the opportunity to come to City College is open to everyone; we don’t have entrance exams,” said Dr. Lisa Cooper Wilkins, CCSF Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, in a statement. “You can get an associate degree to start your own business or to begin your career, or transfer to a college or university in California and beyond. We’re proud that many of our students can attend for free if they are eligible San Francisco residents via our Free City program.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured remarks from key stakeholders and members of the project team, followed by a celebratory reception inside the new center.

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By Lindsey Coulter

FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Community leaders, educators, and project partners gathered on Aug. 8 to celebrate the completion of a four-building expansion at Golden West Middle School in Fairfield. The ribbon cutting ceremony and open house marked a significant milestone for Travis Unified School District, as the campus can now welcome its first cohort of sixth-grade students in more than two decades. The sixth graders will join seventh and eight grade students for the 2025-26 academic year.

Work on Golden West Middle School’s campus expansion campus will be completed in two phases. Phase I included the addition of four new 1-story buildings by TimberQuest that will help support the district’s efforts to reorganize grade levels. Together, the buildings add approximately 19,000 square feet of new space to the campus, including classrooms, a teacher’s workroom and restrooms. The project also encompassed site work, adding a staff parking lot as well as new basketball and tennis courts and perimeter fencing. The project team broke ground in February 2025 and was completed on schedule. Work occurred across near 3.7 acres of the nearly 14-acre campus of Golden West Middle School Campus.

“It’s not often, given today’s fiscal pressures, that schools can provide learning spaces that match the excellence of their instructional programs,” said Travis Unified School District Superintendent Tiffany Benson in a statement at the ribbon cutting ceremoney, “but that’s what makes this accomplishment so significant.”

The expansion was delivered using TimberQuestTM, a prefabricated mass timber building solution which adds permanent, high-quality learning environments that support the district’s long-term vision for growth, flexibility and student wellbeing. Travis Unified School District leaders selected TimberQuest’s DSA pre-approved solution, allowing for expedited design and permitting. General contractor XL Construction was able to construct the buildings in only six months, delivering the buildings in time to open for the new school year.

The project team also included structural engineer Daedalus, contractor Elevated Construction Services, mass timber and CLT provider Kalesnikoff Mass Timber, general contractor XL Construction and architect Aedis Architects.

“This was truly a collaborative effort,” said Nick Cardin, Project Executive at XL Construction. “The district had a clear vision, and we were proud to help bring it to life quickly and in a way that prioritizes students and educators.”

The project will now enter Phase II, projected to end in August 2026, which includes demolition and removal of the existing administration building and construction of a new multiuse and administration building.

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RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—Global integrated design firm Stantec and Northern California based general contractor XL Construction have been selected by UC Davis Health to lead the forward-looking design and construction of new administrative office spaces that will house members from the University’s executive leadership team, as well as employees in the Finance, Human Resources, Revenue and IT sectors.

The project aims to improve collaboration and efficiency for UC Davis Health’s functional support teams by providing a central location that enables these operational groups to better serve the University’s patient network. The project construction manager is McCarthy Building Companies.

Located at 10850 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova, Calif., the 194,000-square-foot office building was originally constructed in 1998 and will include structural upgrades as well as a modern design on both the first and second floors to foster a collaborative team culture well into the future. The space will comfortably accommodate the University’s current team while providing flexibility for future growth and the ability to adapt the space in alignment with the ever-evolving workplace.

The Stantec-XL design-build team will modernize UC Davis Health’s administrative space. The functional and aesthetic design will include open workstations for flexibility; numerous huddle areas for eventual use and conference rooms for team member collaboration and training; focus rooms and enclosed offices to facilitate concentration and privacy; as well as gathering spaces to support technology, socialization and work-life balance. The design will include ample parking for staff who occupy the facility, and the building will be designed in support of LEED Gold and University of California Carbon Neutrality guidelines.

“We pride ourselves on designing beautiful and thoughtful workplaces where employees can thrive,” said Kristine Townsend, Stantec design manager. “We envision this facility as a modern space with a nod to the future, and look forward to getting underway in partnership with UC Davis Health and XL Construction.”

Stantec’s latest work on the UC Davis Rancho Cordova administrative facility builds on the firm’s longstanding relationship with the UC system. Stantec is currently providing lead architectural, interiors, buildings engineering, and landscape architecture services for the UC Davis West Village project, the largest student housing development in the US. The $575 million project—currently in construction with developer, the Michaels Organization—will add nearly 3,300 beds to the University’s West Village neighborhood.

Renovations for the UC Davis Rancho Cordova administrative building are set to begin in winter of 2020.

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SANTA ROSA, Calif.—Sonoma Academy’s Janet Durgin Guild and Commons was recently awarded LEED Platinum, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest green building rating. The $17 million project—at the private co-ed college preparatory high school—has also been recognized for its low carbon footprint and material transparency.

Designed by architecture and planning firm, WRNS Studio, the two-story, 19,500-square-foot nature-inspired building houses the school’s student and education center — a hybrid maker space, student dining with an all-electric commercial kitchen, and indoor/outdoor learning facility.

This project showcases how architecture can make nature part of the classroom experience while meeting strict sustainability and energy efficiency objectives. Focused on health and regional considerations, the project is also targeting WELL Education Pilot and LBC Material and Energy Petals— certifications expected later this year.
“Rooted in a culture committed to sustainability, Sonoma Academy’s decision to embrace multiple rigorous benchmarks, demonstrates how they lead by example, working to understand and transform the wider market towards a more sustainable future,” explained WRNS Studio Partner and Sustainability Director Pauline Souza.

“We are excited to achieve this level of certification, and are grateful to our engineering and construction partners who helped us reach this target.”

Sited on a 34-acre campus at the base of Taylor Mountain in Santa Rosa, the Y-shaped, steel-glass-and-wood structure employed several creative design and engineering solutions to lessen its carbon footprint and establish a safe, healthy environment for students to learn.

Leading with biophilia, the building integrates active and passive systems allowing for a ZNE approach that decreases high-energy-component demand by 75+%. To reduce operational energy consumption, the building is 80% naturally lit, wrapped with operable windows and coiling doors for natural ventilation, and has high-performing, low-e glazing. Deep overhangs provide shade and shelter from the elements. Adjustable exterior sunshades and moveable screens tune for user-comfort and curb heat gain.

In more extreme months, heating and cooling is through geoexchange and radiant systems. These efficient methods drive down energy use and reduce water demand compared to traditional HVAC systems. Other energy saving strategies include a photovoltaic rooftop array, a living roof that helps insulate and keeps the PV’s undersides cool, naturally heat-regulating earth block, an all-electric kitchen with induction cooktops which reduces energy consumption while idling, and a waste water management system that accounts for 88% of the building’s total non-potable water demand.

To ensure a space that promotes well-being, a reductive, low-VOC material palette was the foundation for the project. With an emphasis on health and transparency, material selection was guided by LBC Materials Petal, and in compliance with ILFI’s Red List imperative and CDPH.

RHAA Landscape Architects was the landscape and garden architect on this impressive project. The contractor was XL Construction.

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