The $17-million, 48,000-sq-ft, LEED-certified student services center in Palm Desert was designed as an inviting edifice that stretches its arms to the community, fits within the context of existing campus buildings and contains multiple points of entry for easy access. The entrance is shaped like the open pages of a book and allows for views into the main lobby atrium. The vertical articulation of deep-set windows responds to the desert conditions and the character of the existing buildings.