March 6, 2019

Ground was broken for the Cerritos Community College’s new Performing Arts Center, our latest performing arts center project. Among those wielding shovels under a tent in the pouring rain were the College President, Dr. Jose Fierro; Gary Pritchard, Dean, Fine Arts/Communications; and Marisa Perez, Vice-President, Board of Trustees; faculty and Sean Tittle of Pfeiffer’s design team. The facility will include a 400-seat theater, 150-seat black-box theater, band and choir rehearsal spaces, and a multilevel lobby, along with an acting lab, technology lab, make-up lab, scene shop, costume shop, computer lab, practice rooms, and performer support. The design for the 84,000-square-foot facility merges form, landscape and interiors, organizing the building’s program in three simply articulated but distinct building masses: a large, central element, which houses major performance venues, and flanking L-shaped bars to the west and east, which house the music and theater programs, respectively. In conjunction with a new fine arts building, the new Center creates a vibrant arts zone on campus, including an outdoor courtyard and stage, in a large outdoor environment capable of supporting large concerts and events. With three entrances, the facility welcomes the campus and the public, enhancing the college’s mission to support and enrich the arts on campus and in the city of Norwalk. The facility, which is designed to achieve LEED Silver, is scheduled for completion in 2022.