California College of the Arts Selects 3 Finalists to Design New San Francisco Campus

The California College of the Arts (CCA) has selected 3 top firms as finalists to design “a new, ground-breaking art school that will redefine 21st century arts education.” Chosen from an original pool of 75 architects, the three firms will now interview for the chance to design a new campus that aims to unify the college’s Oakland and San Francisco campuses into one vibrant Bay Area institution.

The chosen firm will work together with the school over the next five years to create a plan that will bring together 2,000 students, 600 faculty members, 250 staff members, and 34 academic programs to a consolidated campus located at the intersection of the city’s innovation corridor, the new DoReMi (Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, Mission) arts district, and Mission Bay. The primary project site will be a 2.4-acre lot that borders the college’s existing San Francisco campus buildings. The campus will house all of CCA’s programs, including art, crafts, design, architecture and writing, fostering interaction between the different disciplines.

The 2.4-Acre primary project site. Image © Jim Norrena

The three finalists are:

• Allied Works Architecture
• Michael Maltzan Architecture
• Studio Gang

The campus design will follow the strategic planning framework outlined by Gensler and MKThink and further developed by local firm Jensen Architects. The plan will be held to high sustainability standards, stipulating advanced strategies for water and energy generation, usage, and conservation; healthy air quality; and environmentally safe artmaking materials and practices. Student housing will also be a priority for the campus, as the college hopes to double the number of on-campus beds to 1,000 by 2025.

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CCA Site Plan. Image Courtesy of California College

Later this month, the three finalists will give presentations to the CCA community and public, with a winner expected to be selected in November 2016.

For more information, visit the CCA website, here.

Correction Update: The winning firm will be selected via a presentation/interview process, not a competition as was previously stated. The three firms will each prepare a presentation, but not full design proposals.

News via CCA.