Pomona College, Studio Art Hall

Overview

Oriented around a large, central courtyard with exterior corridors and cantilevering occupied spaces, the Studio Art Hall is designed to facilitate dynamic interaction among students from all the Claremont Colleges. We provided structural design services to wHY Architecture + Design & Hamilton Construction for this two-story, 35,000-gross-square-foot building, which includes studio space for painting, drawing, sculpture, digital arts, photography and video.

Highlights

• The Studio Art Hall’s lateral system consists of ordinary concentrically braced frames with concrete floor slabs on the second floor.
• At the roof, cantilevered beams span nine feet to 17 feet to allow for an open courtyard while providing shading and natural light into the building.
• The curved geometry of the roof is created by a diagrid of exposed steel beams and laminated veneer lumber joists.
• The hall also features solar photovoltaic panels, natural lighting and solar hot water heaters.