MBAR Praises Westmont Leadership Center Plans

The Montecito Board of Architectural Review has completed the conceptual phase of its analysis of Westmont College’s designs for a new residential facility. The Montecito Planning Commission is expected to review the proposal, which is included in the college’s Master Plan, in July.

Part of the new Westmont Institute for Global Learning and Leadership, the Leadership Center will house students participating in leadership programs and some of the programs included in the institute. The facility features three buildings east of Van Kampen Hall: two are residential and one is multipurpose. Each one will sit on caissons to float above the ground and preserve the root environment of the existing oak trees on the site, where a residence once stood.

Westmont put up story poles at several key corners of the proposed facility, and board members toured the site on April 20. At the hearing that followed, board members complimented the project and design, which is designed in the character of recent buildings constructed on campus and similar in scale to adjacent residence halls.

The two residential buildings will feature beautifully designed suites that open to outside walkways. During the school year, each suite will house two students. A central kitchen on each floor of both buildings will allow students to prepare their own meals.

The third building can be transformed for multiple uses. Sliding walls and movable furniture can accommodate six different set-ups, including a student lounge, lectures, banquets and welcome ceremonies. On occasion, the room will be open to outdoor patios to incorporate the scenic, natural setting.

Westmont’s updated Master Plan includes a residence hall on this site. The planning commission will determine if the proposal substantially conforms to the college’s approved Master Plan. Westmont intends to begin construction as soon as the college has completed the capital fundraising.

The Westmont Institute for Global Learning and Leadership includes five programmatic centers: the Mosher Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership; the Eaton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; the Westmont Center for Neuroscience and Leadership; the Goble Center for Global Learning; and the Montecito Institute for Executive Education.