Western Science Center Academy

Nestled in Southern California's desert near Hemet, the Western Science Center Academy and Museums campus is an environmental showcase of beauty and sustainability, centered around Diamond Valley Lake, the largest man-made water storage lake in North America. At its completion, the project marked a groundbreaking achievement as the world's first LEED Platinum-certified museum and a recipient of more than ten prestigious design awards. In a groundbreaking Design-Build collaboration, Lehrer Architects design aimed to celebrate the significance of water infrastructure and its pivotal role in California's life and development. Now housing the 450-student Western Center Academy charter school, the campus provides a dynamic learning environment, reinforcing STEM education through museum-discovery-based learning.

"The first LEED-Platinum rating for a museum worldwide. The building's formal language is a tribute to the incredible effort required to bring water to desert cities."
- AIA Architect Magazine
IMAGES
No items found.
Videos
DRAWINGS
No items found.
Education
Location
Hemet, California
Client
Western Center Community Foundation
Size
Campus: 15 acres 70,000 SF 2 museums
Status
Completed 2008
Awards
2007   AIA Pasadena Honor Award for Excellence in Design
2007   Gold Nugget Grand Award for Excellence and Value
2007   Pacific Coast Builders Conference Merit Award
2007   Sustainable Building Industry Council High Performance Building Award
2008   AIA California Merit Award
2008   US Building Council Design Awards Honor Award
2008   AIA Los Angeles Honor Award for Excellence in Design
2008   Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award
2008   US Green Building Council LEED Platinum Certification
2009   AIA California Honor Award for Excellence in Design
2009   Chicago Athenaeum Green Good Design Award
2016   German Design Council Iconic Awards
Iconic Awards - Public Architecture with Distinction, German Design Council, 2016
Green Good Design Award, Chicago Athenaeum, 2009
Honor Award for Excellence in Design, American Institute of Architects - California Council, 2009
American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum, 2008
Honor Award for Excellence in Design, American Institute of Architects - Los Angeles, 2008
Honor Award, United States Green Building Council Design Awards, 2008
LEED Platinum Certification, United States Green Building Council, 2008
Merit Award for Savings by Design, American Institute of Architects - California Council, 2008
Beyond Green High Performance Building Award, Sustainable Building Industry Council, 2007
Gold Nugget Grand Award for Excellence and Value for the Best Sustainable Commercial Project, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2007
Honor Award for Excellence in Design, American Institute of Architects - Pasadena Foothill Council, 2007
Merit Award for Best Public/Private Special Use Facility, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, 2007
Project Team

Mark Gangi, Gangi Architects + Gangi Design Build Team

Structural Engineer:
Brent Nuttall, Nabih Youssef and Associates

Civil Engineer:
Richard Davis, KPFF Consulting Engineers

Mechanical Engineer:
Alan Locke, IBE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Electrical Engineer:
Peter Gevorkian, Vector Delta Design Group Inc.

Landscape Architect:
Mia Lehrer + Associates

Landscape Architect
Studio-MLA
Swimming Pool Engineer
Jones & Madhavan
Jones & Madhavan
Jones & Madhavan
Project Management
City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks
City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering