Mission College Gillmor Center
West Valley-Mission Community College District
Mission College began as a campus housed within a single building. When a seismic study revealed that the iconic Main Building required a $70 million upgrade, the college faced a choice: retrofit or reimagine. They chose to reimagine, replacing the building in two phases and creating a new quad at the heart of campus in the process.
The Gillmor Center, a 118,000 square foot multi-discipline academic building, is Phase 1 of that transformation. The new building houses a deliberately diverse mix of programs, from Music and Art to Computer Science, Nursing, and Fire Protection Technology, while a Middle College Program serves local high school students. Flexible, technology-rich environments achieve the College's "high tech-high touch" vision, while a separate 3D art building and fire tower address specialized health and safety requirements while maintaining visual integration with the primary structure.
Sustainability runs deep: photovoltaic collectors, a geothermal heat pump system, solar water heating, recycled water and irrigation, bioswales, and drought-tolerant landscaping combine to achieve LEED Gold and a 33% energy reduction from baseline. The second-floor outdoor deck has become one of the most popular gathering spots on campus, proof that the best sustainable features are the ones people actually use.
