Building a Better Campus Experience at San Diego City College

Alvarez & Shaw helped transform the former E-Building site at San Diego City College into an inviting outdoor space designed for connection, accessibility, and everyday campus life.

Working with Whillock Contracting for the San Diego Community College District, our team delivered the project’s concrete and hardscape scope with attention to durability, craftsmanship, and the details that bring a landscape design to life.

At the heart of the project is approximately 170 linear feet of stepped amphitheater seating, creating a distinctive place for students to gather, study, and connect. Warm Palomino-colored concrete, natural-gray paving, seat walls, stairs, pavers, sidewalks, and flush curbs work together to define the space and complement the surrounding landscape.

Our scope included:

• More than 2,400 square feet of decorative and natural-gray concrete paving

• 170 linear feet of stepped amphitheater seating

• 674 square feet of public right-of-way sidewalk

• Concrete stairs, seat walls, pavers, and flush curbs

• Carefully specified colors, textures, and finishes throughout

The improvements helped turn a former building footprint into a more open and engaging campus environment, complete with new gathering areas, pedestrian connections, landscaping, irrigation, and lighting.

For Alvarez & Shaw, this project represents what quality concrete construction can accomplish: creating durable public spaces that serve a practical purpose while making the surrounding environment more welcoming.