The two related disciplines have moved to the Palomar College Rancho Bernardo Education Center, where they will share a larger space and readier access to industry partners in San Diego.

SAN MARCOS — When Palomar College opens for its Spring semester on January 31, 2022, hundreds of Architecture and Interior Design students will meet for the first time in a new location: the college’s Rancho Bernardo Education Center.

The move, which took place in December 2021, expanded the two programs’ shared space from one classroom at the San Marcos campus to three rooms in Rancho Bernardo.

“Both of these programs are growing, with waiting lists every semester and class fill rates in excess of 100 percent,” said Jessica Newman, Assistant Professor of Interior Design. “This is going to allow us to offer more classes, while providing much more storage space for programs that necessitate the use of a variety of physical materials during instruction.”

At the same time, the change is strategic for the programs because it moves them some 15 miles nearer to the Miramar Design District, with its 300-plus interior design showrooms and retail stores, and to a variety of industry resources in downtown San Diego.

“This new location will make it much easier to organize field trips, site visits, and all types of collaboration for our students and faculty,” said Assistant Professor of Architecture Joe Lucido.

“Palomar’s Rancho Bernardo Center is also a LEED Silver-certified building, with a state-of-the-art design that meets or exceeds current building codes,” Lucido added. “So in a very real sense, the Rancho Bernardo building itself will become part of the learning environment—an interactive tool for familiarizing students with design and building code verbiage.

“The building exists as a real-world example that students can touch and see—more instructive than any diagram in a book,” he said.

The move, which was planned and executed in the Fall 2021 semester, will immediately affect approximately 12 faculty members and 350 students—all face-to-face instruction provided by both programs.

Newman said the new location also opens up a range of possibilities, such as an annual portfolio show, giving Architecture and Interior Design students the chance to connect with potential employers.

“We’re really excited about this move, and what it means for the future of these two programs,” said Newman. “The Rancho Bernardo Center will be a space where our students are excited to learn and proud to show their work.”