Higher Education

AC Martin designed the 9,000 SF MLK Youth Center as a place of refuge, dignity, and connection for the youth it serves. The Center is a supportive facility intended to provide youth transitioning out of the foster care system with healthcare, counseling, and daily living services in a safe, inclusive environment. Natural light, mass timber, soft materials, and open visibility foster an atmosphere that is not only warm and deeply human, but intentionally non-institutional. The design encourages comfort, trust, and allows a sense of belonging to take shape, whether someone is visiting for the first time or tenth. The architecture of the Center balances openness with protection, creating spaces that feel secure without feeling restrictive.

Designed through a trauma-informed lens, the building houses a double-height flex space living room that acts as the building’s heart and features maximal daylighting and a social stair that invites the youth to explore the services provided on the upper floor. The youth have access to lounge areas, a kitchen, a clothing storage area, TV room, laundry area, lockers, and a variety of chat rooms, group rooms, and exam rooms. Staff and visitors have their own zones connected by unobtrusive sightlines through gathering spaces, providing another element of discreet safety. A variety of seating configurations and quiet zones are incorporated to respect differing social and emotional needs. Youth are offered choices: socializing in open communal areas, finding solace in semi-private nooks, or engaging with staff. Every spatial decision reinforces the values of respect, dignity, and healing. A sheltered courtyard and light-filled interiors provide moments of calm, restoration, and connection to the outdoors.

This project serves as a civic space rooted in care and resilience. Its form and materiality establish a strong yet welcoming presence within the neighborhood, reflecting the importance of creating an environment where young people feel seen, respected, and supported. Every aspect of the design—from the form and organization of communal spaces to the integration of daylight and landscape—works to foster a sense of home, autonomy, and healing. The result is a building that not only supports essential services but also offers a lasting sense of stability, hope, and community for the youth it supports.

AC Martin designed a new 5,000 square foot Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) Education Center built adjacent to the existing College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE) building. The new education center houses a mechatronics lab, student lab, a maker space, clinical space, and shared resources for storage and deliverables. The O&P Department will utilize existing classroom space in the CCPE building for lecture courses. Located adjacent to Dignity Health Sports Park, the new O&P building will be used for prosthetic repairs for athletes at the 2028 Paralympics.

The Orthotics and Prosthetics Department was previously located off-campus in a 12,000 square foot Los Alamitos office park, approximately 16 miles away from the CSUDH main campus in Carson. CSUDH extensively studied how to bring the O&P program to the main campus, including scenarios for renovations, new construction, and nearby property purchases. However, the construction of a new O&P facility on campus yielded the most long-term operational savings as well as most closely meeting the needs of the program.

Bringing the O&P program back to the main campus provides many advantages, including closer connection to the College of Health and Human Development, College of Continuing and Professional Education, and University services and resources.

The Carina is part of an overall newly planned mixed-use community on the site of the MainPlace Santa Ana Mall. The mall's new master plan will include the addition of a food hall in "European marketplace" style, an interactive play center for children, upgrades to its movie theater, a grocery store, and two apartment communities with two new residential communities.

The Carina is slated to provide 407 highly amenitized units within a modern and timeless building that will be the new beacon of living at the MainPlace mall. Situated on the highly visible avenue of Main St, the south and east facade represent a high level of articulation using a rhythm of balconies and concrete frames as balconies. At their apex, the south and east façade come together to create a tall, elegant frame comprised of soft natural woods and tall, elegant glass while culminating in an overarching roof element which creates an overall sense of arrival.

The long sweeping east elevation is given a unique identity using slim articulated frames to accentuate key moments in the building façade, using smooth metal panels and light-colored plaster gives it a modern elegant feel. Using a mix of landscaping and curated horizontal fins to deter the visibility of the garage, creating a higher level of experience at the pedestrian level.

The new headquarters for the California Natural Resources Agency is a 22-story, 880,000 SF high-rise office tower serving as the workplace for several departments within the Agency, including the Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Parks and Recreation. The project includes 10,000 SF of ground level retail/flexible space, a multi-vendor food court, and a verdant pedestrian plaza.

The sustainable features and strategies utilized for this LEED Platinum certified building include reclaimed water systems, mechanical chilled sails, and building materials such as rammed earth, reclaimed wood from the Paradise fire, and local/renewable materials. Designed to meet Net Zero Energy standards, the building’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is no more than 28.2 kBtu/sf/year.

AC Martin recently completed the Resources Building Renovation for the California Department of General Services in Sacramento, CA.

RESOURCES BUILDING RENOVATION

The Resources Building Renovation for the California Department of General Services consists of the comprehensive renovation of the original Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in Sacramento. The existing building is 17 stories and roughly 657,000 GSF. Utilizing a progressive design-build delivery method, the Turner + AC Martin + HGA Team’s approach addressed the State’s Goals and Critical Success Factors as fundamental touch points to ensure a project that brings the highest value and differentiates itself yet honors the significance of the original International Style building.

The renovation included the demolition of the existing building’s non-structural elements and a thorough abatement of materials. The fundamental massing of the building remained unchanged. The intervention introduced a new energy-efficient skin, with an orchestrated pattern of glass spandrel panels that recall the metaphor of the original façade.

The decorative open graphic on the East and West façade has been reinterpreted with vertical fins in an alternating light and dark pattern. The podium elevations are finished with a gradient pattern of glazed brick to enliven the pedestrian experience and support the City’s initiatives for the O Street corridor. The design of the office workplace is modern and flexible to facilitate collaboration and productivity while adaptable to change in the post-pandemic world. Sustainability was a priority, and the project is LEED Platinum certified and targets Carbon Neutrality and Zero Net Energy.

AC Martin also designed the New Natural Resources Agency Headquarters for the California Department of General Services, located across the street from the Resources Building Renovation.

NEW NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY HEADQUARTERS