Parking Spotlight
Watry Design, Inc.
Sierra College Rocklin Campus Parking Structure
Photos by: Jason O’Rear
When Sierra College began implementing their new Facilities Master Plan, structured parking was the crucial first piece to support development of new science, public safety and student services buildings planned for the Rocklin Campus.
The resulting 488,000 square foot Sierra College Parking Structure provides 1,500 parking stalls on five levels, with convenient pedestrian connections to both the existing campus and future expansion.
To allow for natural ventilation while providing aesthetic appeal, the design team utilized perforated, replaceable banners to provide color and architectural interest. This has the added benefit of creating a façade that serves as a creative canvas. Custom banners can be changed to celebrate events, seasons, and welcome visitors to the campus.
Vertical fins create contrast with the concrete finish, and the elevator panels are clad with fiber cement wood panels. A lit metal signboard spanning all five levels spells out the college’s name and serves as a wayfinding device.
- Firm: Watry Design, Inc. — Architect, Structural Engineer, and Parking Planner
- Location: Rocklin, CA
- Owner: Sierra Community College District
- Project Team Members:
- General Contractor: McCarthy Building Companies
- Staff:
- Gordon Knowles, Associate Principal, gknowles@watrydesign.com
- Anita Gupta, SE, Associate Principal, agupta@watrydesign.com
Sustainable elements of the structure include 20 EV charging stalls, with provisions for an additional 67 in the future. Structural loads and columns were designed to accommodate future photovoltaic panels on the roof, and electrical rooms are sized to handle future panels and equipment.
Key Project Details
In addition to serving the campus, the parking structure also reduces traffic and congestion along Rocklin Road. Before construction of the structure, most of the 4,300 parking existing stalls were located on the south end of campus, resulting in students exiting Interstate 80 onto Rocklin Road, a residential area. The new structure’s location encourages students to use Sierra College Boulevard instead, while providing convenient access to both existing buildings and the planned expansion.
The natural contours of the site also provided an opportunity to reduce the structure’s impact on the surrounding buildings, mitigating its large size. Utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM), the project team was able to create a 3D map of the structure’s massing and place it in context with the surrounding campus. This 3D model provided a better understanding of the parking structure’s size and scale. Upon seeing how the original concept would impact existing and future facilities, the design team proposed changes that reduced the structure’s overall footprint and blended the structure more effectively into its surroundings, saving the College approximately $4 million in construction costs.
Replacement of six tennis courts was a key part of the project and integral to construction phasing. As students needed the courts for competition during the athletic season, a certain number of courts needed to be operational during construction. The design team worked closely with the college to ensure there would be no disruption to the athletic program.◆
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