Founded in 1887, Pomona College and the other seven Claremont colleges are a striking demonstration of what stucco can do in different architectural styles. From the contemporary smooth-troweled Santa Barbara Finish at Claremont-McKenna to the machine dash finish on the oldest buildings at Pomona College, the Claremont Colleges really show off the best that stucco has to offer. These photos were taken on a recent visit to campus.
Pomona College has the most traditional architecture and uses machine-dash 16/20 stucco to create a California Gothic collegiate feel.
A stone’s throw away, Claremont-McKenna recently built a contemporary dormitory with smooth-troweled Santa Barbara Finish stucco and poured concrete. Smooth-troweled finishes allow for natural looking color variation and sleek lines in virtually any color.
Across the walk path, this Claremont-McKenna dormitory is made of pebblecrete stucco. This is a unique look, made by embedding larger aggregate in the cement stucco and then exposing it through the use of mechanical grinders or chemical washes.
Stucco can also be used to create boardform looks in a variety of colors.
The award-winning student center at Claremont-McKenna used Vero lime paint to stand out from all the other striking buildings on campus. The lime paint gives a soft watercolor appearance with natural color movement.
Even the boutique hotel Casa 325 showed off an innovative stucco finish; the designers chose a coarse 16/20 stucco troweled down to create an interesting texture different than the traditional application methods of sponge floating and lace texture.
Another photo of Kravis Student Center at Claremont-McKenna: