Mills College | Music Building Renovation

Oakland, CA

The award-winning renovation of the 1928 Spanish Colonial-style Mills College Music Building included new additions, ADA upgrades, refurbished classrooms, new A/V and performance space, and, perhaps most noticeably, the upgrade of the Littlefield Concert Hall. The rehabilitated hall includes upgraded acoustics, seating and orchestra space enhancements, stage expansion, and restoration of the Raymond Boynton mural. The project was completed within a limited budget and an ambitious one-year schedule. R+C served as the structural engineer for the renovation and previously provided structural engineering services for a partial upgrade of the building. The renovation of the building's gem, the Jeannik Mequet Littlefield concert hall, took the design and construction team 18 months to complete.

Highlights of the renovation included:

- An expanded stage for larger performances

- New seats and improved layout for a enhanced and more comfortable audience experience

- New acoustic panels for enhanced sound quality

- Soundproofing for performance and recording quality

- Restoration of the Raymond Boynton frescoes and choir loft murals within the venue

SIZE
23,000 sf
CERTIFICATIONS
AWARDS

2009 California Preservation Design Award winner

2009 Merit Award: Excellence in Architecture for Restoration and Preservation, SPUR/AIA

KEY INFO

18 months to complete concert hall renovation

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Leavening peerless structural engineering skill with humor, philosophy, people skills and, above all, a consummate understanding of San Francisco's permitting process, [Alan] saw this project through.