(1) Santa Monica College Board of Trustees' Vice Chair Louise Jaffe  bangs the gong on Wednesday, Dec 3, 2008, as part of the dedication ceremony for the new quad and Humanities & Social Science Building at the main campus. (2) SMC Board of Trustees' Vice Chair, Louise Jaffe, and SMC President Dr. Chui L. Tsang admire the quad and Humanities & Social Science Building's new Lead Plaque. (3) The SMC Synapse Dance Theatre performs "Fountainhead" during the dedication ceremony. (4) Rose peddles drop from the sky. (5) Guest enjoy delcious treats.

With the beautiful new Quad and environmentally sensitive and handsome Humanities & Social Science Building, the college has experienced one of its most dramatic facelifts in decades.

"We're getting tremendous feedback on the Quad, and people like the indoor-outdoor and airy feel of the HSS Building," said Greg Brown, director of facilities planning. "The Quad gives the college a finished feel, a university feel, and students have been using it to study, relax, visit with friends, listen to outdoor concerts and more."

The four-acre Quad opened in late August at the start of the current semester. The $9 million project - funded by Measure U, the SMC bond approved by voters in 2002 - features a handsome promenade of pavers lined by palm trees and flanked by two large water fountains. Grass areas, trees, large planters and seating areas fill out the Quad. It was designed by tBP Architects and Meléndrez landscape architects.

The $26.6 million HSS Building was constructed in two phases - the north wing opened in fall 2006 and the south wing in fall 2007.

The new 53,000-square-foot complex, which faces onto the Quad, is connected with pedestrian bridges and walkways. Its contemporary design features the use of Roman brick, painted metal, white concrete and glass. For its environmentally sensitive features, it has earned a coveted LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The HSS Building has 22 classrooms, as well as faculty offices and lab and tutoring space. Each classroom is wired for computer and Internet access. The complex houses the history, social science and psychology departments.

The structure replaces the Liberal Arts Building, which was constructed in 1952 and was heavily damaged in the 1994 quake, and college officials say repairs have not satisfactorily restored the structural and seismic strength of the building. The Liberal Arts Building will be demolished.

The north wing of the HSS Building was designed by Renzo Zecchetto Architects of Santa Monica, a renowned firm that also designed the SMC Performing Arts Center. The project architect, as well as the designer of the south wing, is the Santa Monica office of Gensler, an award-winning international design, architecture and planning company that has done major projects and buildings throughout the world.

Funding for the HSS Building came from four sources: City of Santa Monica Earthquake Redevelopment Project funds ($10.2 million), Federal Emergency Management Agency ($3.08 million), the state ($4.4 million), and Measure U, the 2002 Santa Monica-Malibu bond measure ($8.9 million).