features 32 instructional rooms, eight standard lecture classrooms and 24 labs. The three-building
development--totaling 72,000 square feet--replaces an older row of buildings, which were built in
the 1950s and were at the "last of their useful life," according to Richard Pagel, vice president of
administrative services at Orange Coast College (OCC).
Planetarium, designed by renown modern architect Richard Neutra. The design of the ABC Complex is
the result of combining three different programs, of three different sizes, for each of the building's major
departments. Consumer Sciences and Design, the smallest of the three programs, is placed in front of
the parking area, Allied Health Sciences is housed in the middle block, and the largest of the programs,
Biological Sciences, is located at the campus edge.
opportunity to pay homage to a designer who inspired him deeply, and often, throughout his career. "To
look beyond Neutra's aesthetic and understand what it was he was trying to create, resulted in a building
completely inspired by--and in balance with--nature," said Carels. "From the open-air corridors and
walkways to the naturally ventilated social spaces, the ABC Complex is an inspiring place to be."
is today. The faculty was really instrumental, meeting with the architects ... a lot of what we have
here today is all related back to what the faculty needs were and are right now.