Advanced Technology & Applied Science (ATAS) Building
Showcasing Innovation and Collaboration
Saddleback College’s new Advanced Technology and Applied Science (ATAS) building was designed to put creativity and creation on display. Serving as both an academic resource and a community hub, the facility supports multiple modalities of learning—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile—across a broad spectrum of programs.
From architectural drafting and graphic design to advanced manufacturing, marine biology, and horticulture, the building celebrates the diversity of career technical education while fostering a sense of connection and belonging among students, faculty, and the community.
Arrival is marked by dual funnel-shaped entry porches that focus attention on the activity within. Benches, hardscapes, and radiating lines guide students and visitors toward classrooms, labs, and the central courtyard green.
A terra cotta wall begins at the entry and slips through a glass plane into the social hub, visually linking exterior and interior while establishing the collaborative heart of the building.
From there, the wall extends outward into the eastern courtyard, where an outdoor amphitheater frames expansive views of the Trabuco Arroyo and the Santa Ana Mountains, grounding the facility within its natural landscape.
The design emphasizes transparency and accessibility, inviting students to explore disciplines beyond their own. Exposed building systems reveal how the structure works, while glass-walled maker spaces and exhibition zones showcase activity and invite curiosity. Outdoor maker spaces along the building perimeter extend this ethos, buffered by green screening that softens views toward nearby parking areas. Faculty offices are intentionally located at the heart of the social hub, ensuring visibility and approachability. Ample informal gathering spaces throughout encourage chance encounters and interdisciplinary collaboration, breaking down barriers between programs.
Inside, the double-height hub acts as the nucleus of the building, offering galleries and learning spaces where activity is visible and shared. The courtyard reinforces this sense of openness, functioning as a campus living room where more than fifteen housed programs intersect. It serves as a center for community building, a place to see and be seen, and an environment where serendipitous connections become part of daily life.
Sustainability strategies are integrated throughout. Aggressive self-shading reduces energy demand, while native, drought-tolerant landscaping emulates a riparian river flow using recycled water. Outdoor classrooms, rainwater display features, and informal seating areas extend learning beyond the walls of the building and connect students to the natural environment.
Recognized with a 2023 DBIA Western Pacific Region Design-Build Award, the ATAS building exemplifies how thoughtful design can merge technology, collaboration, and sustainability. Positioned on the upper mesa of campus, with sweeping views of the Arroyo Trabuco, the facility not only advances technical education but also embodies the spirit of innovation and community that defines Saddleback College.
