Sierra College Nevada County Center

This campus transformation has recaptured its vision: “Connecting the College to the Community and the Community to the College.” Located within a historical gold mining community, the Sierra Community College Districts’ satellite campus of Western Nevada County, which opened its doors about 15 years ago, may be young but its influences are rich and prosperous. In this campus renovation and expansion project, new buildings were built to accommodate classrooms, fine art, theater, the health center, and student services. Classrooms included specialized areas for computer and science classes. The fine arts building gives dedicated space to art and design classes of all sorts including photography, sculpture, and ceramics. The health center also covers a broad spectrum, offering a gymnasium, weight room, cardio/adaptive areas, dance, and yoga space. The theater is a great community asset, boating 325 seats.

The design vocabulary for the campus is a reflection of its gold mining roots with contemporary use of materials and detailing. The fiber cement siding compliments the existing campus’s board n batten. The vertical and horizontal metal siding; in colors of the surrounding landscape become a reflection of the historical continuity. The exposed steel structures; functional yet artistic, and the stone accents with its chiseled texture, are symbolic of the mines and its structures. The use of color and texture as well as educational and facility relationships will create a renewed energy for this campus.

Project Designer at NTD Architecture