Project Location
San José, CA
Client
Evergreen Valley College
Area
74,000 SF
Services
Architecture, interior design, lighting design, acoustics, and experiential graphic design
Evergreen Valley College’s new Student Services Complex serves as an inclusive gateway to campus, redefining its visual identity with its dynamic design. Inspired by San José’s landscape, the building features a glowing canopy, curved massing, and shaded façades. With student-focused spaces and sustainable design, it creates a welcoming environment that enhances student success.
The Student Services Complex serves as a dynamic gateway, reflecting the diverse campus community while establishing a distinct identity. Its curved, porous form – inspired by local flora – balances boldness with approachability. A glass façade and canopy mark the entrance, leading to a double-height lobby with a multilingual “Welcome Wall” with reflects the languages spoken by the EVC community. Inclusive features such as varied seating and open, accessible spaces enhance collaboration, connection, and wellbeing, fostering a vibrant, student-centered community.
The Student Services Complex consolidates essential student services in one location, guiding students from their first day to graduation. Designed with intuitive wayfinding, it ensures a welcoming experience for new students and a streamlined process for returning ones. Features include informal engagement zones, flexible gathering spaces, a rooftop event space, and key program areas like financial aid, admissions, health services, a lactation room, and a veterans' services area. It also provides much-needed space for students to gather and study between classes, encouraging them to stay on campus longer and supporting their academic success. Administrative offices are housed in a separate wing, accessible via a bridge, with a striking curved glass oculus as the visual centerpiece.
The Student Services Complex prioritizes intuitive wayfinding in its design. The entry road and expansive canopy establish hierarchy, guiding students to the Student Services Wing. The oculus serves as a key landmark and event space. Throughout, visual cues create an easy-to-navigate environment. A statement light fixture highlights the Welcome Desk, marking a clear location where students can receive assistance. Color-coded side walls at department entrances provides an inclusive wayfinding experience beyond reliance on written English text.
Designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, the building was designed with a strong focus on high performance design and sustainability, aligned with the college’s core values. Expansive glazing allows for maximum daylighting and views of the campus, while highly efficient systems and building envelope reduce energy consumption. Vertical fins at the exterior are strategically placed to optimize solar shading, reducing heat gains and cooling loads. A breezeway between the building wings serves as a functional, shaded outdoor room, enhancing usability without increasing energy demand. Sustainable materials and finishes were chosen for their positive impact on air quality, as well as thermal and acoustical comfort. Biophilic materials foster a sense of physical wellbeing, and low-VOC materials are used throughout to further promote a healthy environment for all occupants.
This building sets a new standard in architectural design for the campus and reinforces the college’s commitment to its students. Strategically located as the primary entry point to the campus, it redefines the college’s visual identity and transforms the on-campus experience for students.
In the Media
DLR Group Transforms a Commuter School into a Welcoming Environment
October 7, 2025A new gateway building at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose is setting a new standard for community college design.
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