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Irvine Humanities Gateway Breaks Ground in California
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Fentress Architects of Denver and Greeley’s Hensel Phelps Construction Co. broke ground Friday on a design-build campus project at the University of California at Irvine. |
Rendering courtesy of Fentress Architects
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Hensel Phelps Construction Co., headquartered in Greeley, broke ground Friday on the University of California Irvine Humanities Gateway, a $29-million, design-build project the company was awarded with Fentress Architects of Denver in a design competition in May.
“The Janus-faced building anchors the humanities quad while serving as a front door to and ambassador for the academic and public communities,” said Curtis W. Fentress, principal-in-charge of design at Fentress Architects. “Humanities Gateway reflects historical context, yet is innovative, formal, spontaneous. It respects the formality and architectural vocabulary of the campus on its entry side, then breaks free, expressing the inquiry and delight characteristic of the humanities on its opposing face.”
The 76,000-sq-ft building will have a structural cast-in-place concrete frame and exterior wall. “The building systems are designed to operate efficiently, be easily maintained and contribute to a energy-efficient and sustainable operation,” Fentress said.
The Humanities Gateway will optimize the use of outdoor spaces in response to its temperate, southern California climate. “Exterior walls open to extend interior spaces, creating a strong connectivity between the outside and inside,” added Fentress. “Utilizing daylight along the perimeter of the building via large glass panels, use of artificial lighting is minimized, thereby reducing energy consumption. The courtyard, building terraces and light courts create opportunities to extend the learning environment and host receptions and various functions.”
Humanities Gateway will be the fifth building in the Humanities quad and will include such elements as a 110-seat auditorium, film studio, art and art history classrooms, offices and the International Center for Languages and Translation. The building is scheduled for completion in summer 2009.
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. and Fentress Architects have completed 50 projects together, valued at more than $3.4 billion. The companies’ portfolio includes California Department of Education Headquarters in Sacramento, a LEED-platinum building; the City of Oakland Administration Buildings and the Colorado Convention Center.
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