HALF MOON BAY, Calif.—When students and teachers finally return to school premises, the Cabrillo Unified School District will celebrate the opening of its new kindergarten triplex at Hatch Elementary School in Half Moon Bay, located approximately 30 miles south of San Francisco.

The three buildings—which comprise approximately 9,200 square feet of modern indoor and outdoor learning spaces—were delivered using a highly adaptable prefabricated building solution called Folia.

“The one-story Folia buildings perfectly met our requirements at Hatch Elementary School,” said Sean McPhetridge, superintendent of the Cabrillo Unified School District. “They are modern, flexible, sustainable and ideally suited for the ever-changing needs of a kindergarten program. And, while we have not yet had the pleasure of seeing students enjoying their brand-new environment, we are looking forward to that day.”

The three buildings are centered around a new outdoor play area that includes a playground, as well as outdoor learning environments that support progressive instruction.

Two of the buildings include 960-square-foot classrooms. The third building is comprised of two large 1,260-square-foot classrooms. All were designed to encourage a variety of cooperative learning situations.

The Hatch Kindergarten Triplex was the first single-story Folia structure to be completed. Folia is an education industry building solution developed by Blach Construction, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects and Gregory P. Luth & Associates (GPLA) Structural Engineers. While Folia is built with the same type of materials and structural systems found in conventional school buildings, it is delivered more quickly and at a lower cost. It offers a flexible alternative to traditionally designed buildings with the same level of quality and longevity thanks to a design that is optimized for prefabrication and rapid installation.

Each classroom features a full restroom and sink and are conjoined by ample teacher prep space that offers visibility into the classrooms and the playground for continued supervision. Large and clerestory windows in the classrooms provide balanced daylighting, while operable windows and high ceilings in both the classrooms and the prep spaces stimulate natural ventilation.

“The daylighting and ventilation features that are standard to every Folia were purposefully incorporated to assist in improving student performance. Now it is evident that they’ll support a healthier classroom as well,” said QKA Principal Aaron Jobson. “Additionally, while initially designed to promote collaborative learning, these single-story Folia classrooms will also enable socially distant learning, which is clearly imperative during this pandemic era.”

This project was completed in just eight months. The cost has not yet been disclosed.

“Because much of Folia is prefabricated, we are able to offer greater schedule and budget efficiencies,” said Blach Vice President of Operations Keith Craw. “Not only are we excited to expand our portfolio to include single-story Folia options overall, we enjoyed working with CUSD on this project specifically. It is particularly gratifying to have been involved in bringing to life these new, high performance and flexible spaces where many kindergartners will begin their academic education.”

Folia is DSA (California Division of State Architect) pre-check approved, and

because much of the building is prefabricated, it can be delivered in less than a year. It was designed to meet the building standards of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) with an emphasis on indoor air quality, natural daylight, and acoustic performance.

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HAYWARD, Calif.—HMC Architects and G4 Architects are in the process of designing a new $71.3 million Library and Learning Connections building at Chabot College in Hayward, Calif.

Chabot College serves a diverse student body where many students have full-time jobs, speak English as a secondary language, or come from low-income families.

The design of the new Library and Learning Connections building will proactively engage students, faculty members and other stakeholders and intertwine academic resources, study, and social spaces to soothe stigma around seeking help.

The four-story atrium provides an unobstructed visual connection through the building to the upper floors and spaces clustered around the atrium are branded for easy wayfinding. A café, library, learning resources, and variety of open and closed study spaces promote active student lifestyle and encourage social participation.

Open floor plans, large windows, and glazed skylights flood the atrium with natural daylight and put learning on display. Like the indoor spaces, outdoor spaces will also foster active learning. An amphitheater, attractive landscaping, tree canopies, mobile furnishing, and Wi-Fi and power access create flexible outdoor spaces to support a wide range of student activities.

The exterior design maximizes natural daylight with careful placement of windows, exterior shades, and a louvered shading system to block hot summer sun angles and welcome winter sun angles. The material and color palette draws inspiration from the campus’s predominant pre-cast concrete construction and surrounding natural environment. Gold accents evoke the school’s color identity and provide space for branding opportunities while the warm gray and sandy colors reflect the local natural environment.

Construction on the new Library and Learning Connections building will begin in 2021 with a slated completion date of July 2023. Rudolph and Sletten is the general contractor.

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SANTA ROSA, Calif.—With a completion date slated for September 2021, construction continues anew on the 24,000-square-foot classroom facility at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Several months ago, ground was broken on a two-story building that will provide much needed classroom space for expanded educational offerings and curriculum. The building will enable the school to remove existing temporary portable learning spaces.

This project was made possible after the school embarked on a $38 million capital campaign to pay for the campus improvements in the aftermath of a wildfire in October 2017 that destroyed more than a third of the campus.

The new addition will encompass 18 classrooms, an art studio, four student collaboration rooms and two staff collaboration rooms. They will surround a central courtyard and be supplemented by outdoor learning spaces.

Sustainable design elements—energy efficient lighting and mechanical systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, solar shading, operable windows, daylighting, and sustainably sourced materials—have been central to the complex’s design. The surrounding landscaping will be drought-tolerant and include systems for storm water retention.

Wright Contracting is the general contractor on this impressive project. Quattrocchi Kwok Architects is the architecture firm.

“It’s incredible to see the next piece of this campus’ transformation begin to unfold as Cardinal Newman continues to expand the facilities needed to keep pace with its vision for educational excellence,” said QKA Principal John Dybczak, in a statement.

“Designing this classroom complex was a collaborative effort between the school, project team, and the community that so faithfully supports these students. Designing flexible, contemporary classroom spaces that support student health could not be more paramount than it is in this historical moment.”

Added Cardinal Newman Interim President and Superintendent Linda Norman, “Intended to rebuild needed classroom space following the devastation and delayed by a global pandemic, this project symbolizes the resilience of our school and community in many ways. We have been thankful to have such a flexible and engaged project team and a generous donor community supporting our vision as it comes to life.”

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CHICO, Calif.— With a completion date slated for summer 2021, work remains underway on the new Marigold elementary school in Chico, which is located approximately 90 miles north of Sacramento.

Construction began in mid-2017 on this $40 million project that will introduce a nearly entire new campus. Included in this project is:

• the demolition of the existing main classroom building;
• an additional a two-story 16-classroom building;
• an addition of a new multipurpose building;
• renovation of all existing buildings;
• various sitework, including utilities, concrete drainage, and landscape;
• new bus drop-off parking and a kindergarten playground

Rainforth Grau Architects is the architect on this impressive project, which is also a joint venture of United Building Contractors of Chico, and Clark Sullivan construction of Roseville, Calif.

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LONG BEACH, Calif.—Construction has begun on a new 96,000-square-foot, multi-disciplinary facility for Long Beach City College. The three-story facility is the first design-build project funded by the state of California and will house a variety of academic programs including language arts, career technology education, computer and office studies, student success center and support programs. Designed to be a 21^st century learning environment and achieve LEED® Gold Certification, the new facility is anticipated to reach completion in November 2021.

C.W. Driver Companies is the general contractor on this impressive $48.2 million project. HPI Architecture is the architect.

Located on the Liberal Arts Campus, the project will include the demolition of two existing classroom buildings, as well as all associated utilities, hardscape, irrigation, and landscaping.

The new facility will be constructed as a single steel frame structure complete with classroom, study, and administrative spaces. Key spaces include a lecture hall, reading and writing focus areas and breakout rooms. The project will be built around existing community courtyards where students can connect, study and socialize.

“We’re honored to lead the first design-build project funded by the state of California, which will introduce a much-anticipated multi-disciplinary facility at Long Beach City College,” said Tom Jones, Project Executive at C.W. Driver Companies, in a statement.

The facility will feature a design that nods to the historic framework and character of the Liberal Arts Campus, while creating a modern multi-disciplinary community. The blend of these design concepts will create an atmosphere that embraces the campuses’ Spanish colonial revival style while introducing contemporary elements with their own sense of place and time.

To achieve LEED® Gold Certification, the team will integrate sustainable design practices and features with a focus on water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, fuel-efficient transportation, and material resources.

Key features include dedicated parking spaces for carpooling and fuel-efficient cars; light colored hardscape; overhangs, balconies, and shade structures to mitigate heat island effect; storm water infiltration; low-flow efficient plumbing structures; HVAC strategies for improved air quality and more.

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SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY, Calif.—El Toro High School’s modernization for the Saddleback Valley Unified School District is now complete.

HMC Architects was the architect for this $8 million project. Balfour Beatty served as general contractor. The project features a 7,000-square-foot library modernization, 16,700-square-foot classroom building modernization, and a 2,000-square-foot demonstration classroom addition.

To relieve a densely overcrowded facility and create more classroom space, HMC Architects designed a future-focused learning environment that offers both students and teachers a variety of curriculum delivery opportunities and options for greater collaboration. Existing classrooms were reorganized around a commons area accessible to all passively encouraging students and teachers to interact.

This district pilot project is changing long-established norms on how teachers view ownership of classrooms thereby increasing the capacity of the campus without building a magnitude of new classrooms on an existing campus.

The school’s existing library was renovated into a modern media innovation center consistent with the premise of flexibility, opportunity, and driven by technology. A new entry gateway was designed, and the parking lot was modified for safety.

The design of the lecture demonstration space addition and media innovation center considers potential active shooter considerations. Passive safety measures, such as angled walls and functional window heights, to keep students safe have been implemented.

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FOLSOM, Calif.—A new Kindergarten through fifth grade school in Folsom, Calif.—which is approximately 25 miles east of Sacramento— will serve more than 650 students when the new campus opens for the 2021-2022 school year.

Mangini Ranch Elementary School will be located in the brand-new Folsom Ranch neighborhood. Community leaders and parents are especially happy about this project being the first new school for the Folsom Ranch development, as well as the first new school built in Folsom in more than 10 years.

Kitchell CEM—which has locations across California and in Arizona— is the general contractor on this $50 million school that will feature innovative technology and additional resource space beyond the classrooms to promote collaboration and connections. A groundbreaking ceremony for this project was held in February.

Sacramento-based Rainforth Grau Architects (RGA) is the architect on this new school. The firm started working on preliminary programming with the District in 2015.

“The school was designed as a two-story single building after significant research was done with the District on trends in curriculum, collaboration and safety,” said RGA Principal Architect Teri Jamison.

“The design focuses on connectivity, collaboration and community, which includes pull-out collaboration spaces, a central commons area for large gatherings and clusters of classrooms for each grade level promoting community.”

There is increased transparency of the spaces to promote connection and supervision throughout the building.

“An access control system is being provided with integration to intrusion and video surveillance systems to streamline security and safety features of the facility,” she explained.  “All instructional and gathering spaces are technologically robust with touchscreen monitors, speakers for amplification and individual student devices.

Jamison said the biggest design challenge was the journey to arrive at the solution being constructed.

“The change from a campus-style organization to a multi-story single building is a cultural shift for the school district and there was an increased effort expended early on in weighing all the options, concerns and opportunities in pursing this change in methodology.”

Mangini Ranch Elementary School is the first of five new elementary schools planned to be built for the Folsom Ranch area.

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SANTA ROSA, Calif.—Sonoma Academy’s Janet Durgin Guild and Commons was recently awarded LEED Platinum, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest green building rating. The $17 million project—at the private co-ed college preparatory high school—has also been recognized for its low carbon footprint and material transparency.

Designed by architecture and planning firm, WRNS Studio, the two-story, 19,500-square-foot nature-inspired building houses the school’s student and education center — a hybrid maker space, student dining with an all-electric commercial kitchen, and indoor/outdoor learning facility.

This project showcases how architecture can make nature part of the classroom experience while meeting strict sustainability and energy efficiency objectives. Focused on health and regional considerations, the project is also targeting WELL Education Pilot and LBC Material and Energy Petals— certifications expected later this year.
“Rooted in a culture committed to sustainability, Sonoma Academy’s decision to embrace multiple rigorous benchmarks, demonstrates how they lead by example, working to understand and transform the wider market towards a more sustainable future,” explained WRNS Studio Partner and Sustainability Director Pauline Souza.

“We are excited to achieve this level of certification, and are grateful to our engineering and construction partners who helped us reach this target.”

Sited on a 34-acre campus at the base of Taylor Mountain in Santa Rosa, the Y-shaped, steel-glass-and-wood structure employed several creative design and engineering solutions to lessen its carbon footprint and establish a safe, healthy environment for students to learn.

Leading with biophilia, the building integrates active and passive systems allowing for a ZNE approach that decreases high-energy-component demand by 75+%. To reduce operational energy consumption, the building is 80% naturally lit, wrapped with operable windows and coiling doors for natural ventilation, and has high-performing, low-e glazing. Deep overhangs provide shade and shelter from the elements. Adjustable exterior sunshades and moveable screens tune for user-comfort and curb heat gain.

In more extreme months, heating and cooling is through geoexchange and radiant systems. These efficient methods drive down energy use and reduce water demand compared to traditional HVAC systems. Other energy saving strategies include a photovoltaic rooftop array, a living roof that helps insulate and keeps the PV’s undersides cool, naturally heat-regulating earth block, an all-electric kitchen with induction cooktops which reduces energy consumption while idling, and a waste water management system that accounts for 88% of the building’s total non-potable water demand.

To ensure a space that promotes well-being, a reductive, low-VOC material palette was the foundation for the project. With an emphasis on health and transparency, material selection was guided by LBC Materials Petal, and in compliance with ILFI’s Red List imperative and CDPH.

RHAA Landscape Architects was the landscape and garden architect on this impressive project. The contractor was XL Construction.

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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.—Architect firm LPA Design Studios recently hosted a virtual three-hour furniture planning review meeting for the $68.8 million California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) Student Union expansion keeping the project on schedule during a key planning phase.

When completed in August 2021, the 105,000-square-foot expansion project will encompass varied indoor and outdoor spaces, including a pub with outdoor seating, game room, bowling alley, food vendors, dining and lounge space, and a campus bookstore. It also includes a conference and events center, student club offices, student government offices and meeting chamber and the student union administration offices. The variety of furniture selections for the three-story building will support student activities and help create social gathering and meeting places for students.

“Our goal is to finish the furniture planning before the spring term concludes, so we can continue to gather feedback and keep the project on track over the summer,” explained Rebecca Snellen, LPA Furniture Services Project Manager.

“While steel beams are going up, this is the pivotal time to make decisions for technology and power infrastructure, as well as furniture typologies and layouts.”

More than 70 percent larger than the existing student union, the new building will not only replace its predecessor, it will offer more space for the growing student population to study, relax, connect with student organizations and socialize. As LPA virtually presented each furniture plan, CSUSB’s facilities team provided feedback in real-time, keeping the project moving forward.

“The CSUSB facilities team is really in tune with their students and know what types of furniture will be widely used,” added Snellen. “We are able to make informed decisions collaboratively based on our expertise and the team’s clear understanding of their students. The Student Union is the glue that will hold campus life together. This is the place where students will connect and enrich their college experience.

Hathaway Dinwiddie is the Construction Manager at Risk on the project.

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MERCED, Calif.—The new $60 million Arts and Computational Sciences building at UC Merced—spanning 90,000 square feet—was completed last August following a four-year design and construction schedule using the Public Private Partnership delivery model.

The scale of this P3 delivery model sponsors a holistic, systems-thinking approach to campus development rooted in efficiency, innovation, flexibility and sustainability. The P3 development team included a consortium of financial experts, contractors, operations and maintenance teams, architects, engineers, and consultants, with WRNS Studio serving as academic architect. Webcor was the general contractor.

The UC Merced 2020 Project was planned to support the college’s Triple Net Zero Commitment (zero net energy, zero landfill waste, and zero net greenhouse gas emissions),” said Kristen DiStefano, associate director, San Francisco Studio, Atelier Ten, the environmental design consultant firm on this project.

 This commitment was integral to the design approach, putting a fine point on the ways in which a complicated, large-scale P3 can enhance campus life. This project has a goal of offering students an engaging, inclusive campus experience that supports evolving learning modalities with a variety of flexible, mixed-use spaces that blend student life with education.

The entire development is comprised of several buildings, which represents 1.2 million new square feet of construction.

“Live/Learn” became a guiding theme in the planning and design of the Arts and Computational Sciences Building, which includes computational labs, administrative workspaces, dance studios, painting workshops, screening rooms, informal indoor/outdoor spaces, music and sound recording rooms, and a large 299-seat auditorium and lecture hall serving campus-wide events.

 “An integrated design approach connects this varied program, incorporates sustainability goals, and blends living with learning,” explained Lillian Asperin, partner, WRNS Studio.

Added Bryan Shiles, partner, WRNS Studio, “Colloquy spaces distributed throughout the building act as a social glue, encouraging students to gather, socialize, relax and study in a series of informal, comfortable lounges.”

The building also links a new academic quad with future housing and extends a primary circulation path through the existing and new parts of the campus. Angled cast-in-place concrete columns run along the south side of the building, offering students an outdoor, sheltered gathering space and comfortable transition from the quad to the interior. More active programs, including art studios and the lecture hall, are located on the ground floor encouraging interaction between students, faculty and staff.

The auditorium was crafted by local tradespeople using regional wood species. Modular, offsite fabrication helped achieve technical accuracy, as well as cost and schedule efficiencies. Views of both the immediate campus and the open landscape connect students with Merced’s distinct agrarian valleys. Daylight and views reach into all spaces, including the computational labs, achieved through internal glazing and thoughtful space planning. All spaces are flexible for multiple uses—now and into the future.

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