Built into a sloping site with its lowest of the five levels
daylighting only to the west, the new UCI Arts Building is clad
in brick veneer, concrete masonry units and glass. The main
stair and elevator tower anchors the northwest corner of the
building as it aids in defining the entry courtyard and
announcing the building entrance.  The building is designed to
actively engage the environment of the UCI Arts Village.
Balconies, terraces, open walkways and a colonnade invite visual
and physical interaction between the building, its occupants and
the surrounding community.  Naturally ventilated spaces make up
most of the building's exterior. These rooms and corridors are
wrapped around spaces that require high levels of environmental
control, typically sound or light, but also in the case of the
art gallery temperature and humidity as well. The top floor
consists entirely of artists' studios that are also naturally
ventilated. These studios open onto outdoor terraces that double
as extended work areas.  Projec