Exterior view of two-story library at dusk, mass timber, floor-to-ceiling glass fenestration, concrete walkway leads to entrance

Chaffey College Library Learning Commons

New Library Breaks the Mold

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Project Location

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Client

Chaffey Community College District

Area

76,000 SF

Services

Architecture, interiors, acoustics, oversight, and specifications

Since its humble beginning in 1883, Chaffey College has been dedicated to improving lives through education. Continuing with this mission, the college is replacing its existing library at the Rancho Cucamonga Campus to provide greater access to information resources, technology, and services that students need to be successful. In collaboration with Swinerton Builders, DLR Group’s design of the new Library Learning Commons will create a cornerstone building on campus, offering a variety of services and spaces to meet the needs of its diverse student population.

The new building will feature multi-purpose spaces that support activities ranging from individual study to collaborative project work and large group gatherings. It will also house the Faculty Success Center to encourage meaningful interaction between students and faculty and will become a hub for distance education. Biophilic design elements, such as merged indoor and outdoor study areas, framed views of the San Gabriel mountains and moments in the landscape design, and well-distributed daylight throughout the building contribute to an environment of student well-being. By maintaining a browsing collection, improving access to Special Collections, and enhanced technology offerings, students will be equipped with resources to support them on their academic journey.

This new 76,000–SF facility will house a variety of services, spaces, and programs including information and learning services, supplemental instruction, a faculty success center, distance education support, collaboration spaces, instructional and support spaces, and multimedia and editing studios. The iconic structure will be situated on the campus promenade and will be the first new building to be designed and constructed in support of the new campus master plan. The lobby, which links the first-floor entry off the promenade with the second-floor entry from the parking lot, serves as the heart of the building. This heart, with its informal gathering social stair and 3-level atrium-like volume, provides clear visual connectivity for intuitive wayfinding and circulation through the library. The building form, materiality, interior space planning, and outdoor study decks all celebrate the connection to the natural beauty of the campus, framing views to the dramatic San Gabriel mountains and connecting outdoor spaces to the promenade below.

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Exterior view featuring biophilic design elements, such as merged indoor and outdoor study areas, framed views of the San Gabriel mountains and in the landscape design, and well-distributed daylight throughout

Outdoor seating around the first floor of the library also serves as a gathering place where students, faculty, and staff can meet and exchange idea, floor-to-ceiling windows allowing natural daylight to enhance focus and calm

Lobby with view of both stories with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing natural daylight to enhance focus and calm

The design includes a large, covered balcony with outdoor seating on the third floor, which will enable students to sit outside and breathe fresh air while they study or collaborate

This new building I’m sure will internalize the message that Chaffey College students deserve the best facilities, deserve the best opportunities and the best overall academic experience.”

Tamia Newman Student Government President, Chaffey College

Re-envisioning the Campus Library

Libraries are often seen as silent, forbidding places with strict social norms and haughty academics roaming the stacks. The design for the Chaffey College Library Learning Commons aims to expand the vision of what a library can be. Instead of serving solely as a place for quiet study, the library adds social space, supplemental instruction, classrooms and labs, administrative support, and faculty resources to the usual lineup of private study rooms, computer labs, and the physical collection. 

Re-envisioning the Campus Library

Transformation

Establishing an Iconic Landmark

The new Library Learning Commons serves as the flagship building of the new master plan for Chaffey College. The building will be located near the recently renovated Michael Alexander Campus Center, the existing Student Services building and other instructional buildings, and will serve as an iconic part of the campus. The Library Learning Commons will connect Chaffey College’s North Campus to the promenade, the college’s main pedestrian pathway. A first-floor entrance from the promenade is connected through the central lobby to a second-floor entrance from the parking lot. 

The Library Learning Commons represents a hub of knowledge and academic services that will deliver collaborative, innovative, and flexible environments for many generations to come. Academic, administrative support, and faculty resources will be consolidated into one facility to develop synergies and innovation to better serve campus users.

Exterior view of Chaffey College Library Learning Commons in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Inclusivity

Shared Spaces for Everyone

Our design intentionally prioritizes connection and inclusivity. A large lobby in the center of the building connects the two main entrances with a large staircase that serves as an informal gathering place. The staircase design incorporates space for students to sit and read, hang out with friends, or wait to meet a friend or professor. There are many spaces for connection throughout the rest of the building, from comfortable lounge spaces to private areas for group study. Classrooms, tech labs, computer stations, and multimedia innovation labs provide areas for students and professors to interact. A shared faculty workroom provides a place for faculty of different specialties to mingle and work together. 

The library will also provide a space for students to incorporate new technology into their learning, including multimedia and editing studios, accommodations for virtual learning, as well as open computer stations. Equal access to technology levels the academic playing field and allows for a variety of creative expressions. 

Interior view of Chaffey College Library Learning Commons in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Nature

Bringing in the Outdoors

Our design of the library is holistically connected to nature, from large windows and outdoor seating that capture the views of the San Gabriel Mountains to the colors and materials used both inside and out. Inspired by oak trees and native vegetation, the library includes natural wood design elements as well as mossy green carpeting and furniture. The warm tones of wood and terracotta give the space a welcoming and inviting feel.

The design includes a large, covered balcony on the third floor, which will enable students to sit outside and breathe fresh air while they study or collaborate. Outdoor seating around the first floor of the library also serves as a gathering place where students, faculty, and staff can meet and exchange ideas. These design elements provide an intentional connection to nature, rejuvenating students, faculty, and staff during the busy school day. 

The library’s large windows give the space an airy, open feel. The abundance of natural light sits in stark contrast to the libraries of yesterday: no longer will students need to study in small, dark rooms or sit among rows of tables under harsh fluorescent lighting. Instead, students can take a short break from reading or writing to gaze out at the natural beauty of the San Gabriel mountains to the north and the valley to the south. 

Exterior view of Chaffey College Library Learning Commons in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Teamwork

Collaborating with Key Partners

The Chaffey College Library Learning Commons project exemplifies DLR Group’s core value of teamwork. Redefining the role of a library is grounded in the design of equitable opportunities for collaboration, innovative learning, and teamwork. Internally, our team saw big changes mid-stream which were taken in stride. To accommodate for these changes, we advocated for time to be together to swiftly make decisions and bring all voices to the table.

The design-build collaboration with Swinerton Builders required the team to work through many challenges to deliver a design that met the schedule and budget while exceeding our client’s aspirations. The integrated team developed cost models for not only three massings, but also material variations that would give similar intent at different cost points. Using a rubric of different client values and drivers, the design-build team provided rankings and a recommendation based on a simple scoring system to help with decisions balancing design goals and budget considerations. 

The design includes a large, covered balcony on the third floor, which will enable students to sit outside and breathe fresh air while they study or collaborate

Interior view of Chaffey College Library Learning Commons in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

In the Media

DLR Group Partners with Chaffey College for new Library Learning Commons

_{September 6, 2023}

Spaces4Learning recently shared the exciting news about the new Library Learning Commons at Chaffey College.

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