Vanguard University Opens Waugh Student Center

Vanguard University opened the $24 million Waugh Student Center in April of 2020 in Costa Mesa, Calif. Designed by HPI Architecture, the two-story, 42,687-gsf project includes a 35,000-sf structure with a 7,500-sf exterior deck for studying, dining, and socializing. The welcoming campus hub houses a 3,300-sf food service area, an 8,000-sf dining commons, a 3,000-sf fitness center, and a student lounge with a fireplace. A multipurpose recreation venue provides 8,000 sf of flexible space that can be reconfigured to accommodate meetings and events for up to 880 attendees. The steel-framed building, which features accessible power outlets and charging stations throughout, will serve Vanguard's current population of 900 students as well as accommodating a projected enrollment growth of more than 25 percent. General contractor C.W. Driver began construction on the project in November of 2018.