SAN PABLO, Calif.—Designer Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) has commenced its work for the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) on a complete campus replacement of Lake Elementary School, whose buildings were considered not suitable for modern educational purposes. The new campus will eventually host 500 students from kindergarten through 6th grade.

As designed by QKA, the reimagined school will offer visitors a pleasing main entrance, immediately beyond which will be the library and housing administrative services. The interior design allows for flexible spaces for 4th through 6th grades that can be adapted for larger gatherings and shared learning spaces.

At the campus center, the school will have a cafeteria, performance space, multipurpose areas, as well as dining options that can be enjoyed inside or al fresco in California sunshine. A main thoroughfare will allow students to briskly move from one area of the school to another.

It was important to the WCCUSD that the new school be as sustainable as possible, so recycled building materials were incorporated throughout. The school also features a “cool roof” as well as LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient mechanical elements. On the exterior, the design called for synthetic turf to mitigate the need for irrigation, and enough shade over the playgrounds and exterior dining areas ensures that extra water isn’t wasted unnecessarily.

Alten Construction Inc. is working with QKA to realize the redesigned campus. John Dybczak, QKA principal and CFO, said that his firm was cognizant of recognizing that the needs of Lake Elementary’s future extended well beyond the classroom.

“Our trusted design-build partnership with Alten Construction was invaluable as we navigated the serious challenges associated with demolishing and rebuilding a school campus while prioritizing safety and uninterrupted learning throughout the process,” he said.

In a subsequent statement to School Construction News, Dybczak said that QKA and Alten worked hand-in-glove with district personnel to ensure the redesigned school’s current and future needs are met.

“From there, the design-build team collaborated with the facilities department to seek solutions for the project’s most significant challenge: demolishing and rebuilding a school while classes remain in session,” he said. “Together, we were able to develop a phased approach to construction that accommodates classroom needs and maintains student safety. The end result will be a completely redesigned campus home to flexible learning suites that allow classrooms to adapt easily to a variety of curricular needs.”

Bob Alten, president & CEO of Alten Construction Inc., said that the groundbreaking itself has shown how the project will meet its timeline. “Our team has worked hard to mitigate the cost escalation challenges that the construction industry has endured over the past several years to ensure the success of the project and save the taxpayers money,” he said.

The new school is projected to be completed in the summer of 2025.

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SANTA ROSA, Calif.—After learning that economically disadvantaged schools in Sonoma County lacked basic resources for distance learning, North Bay Area-based Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) took immediate action to bridge the “digital divide” preventing some of the neediest students from an education during COVID. QKA has stepped up to the plate to the tune of 80 Wi-Fi hotspots for families without access, 330 reams of copier paper, and $2,500 to help feed families in need.

Co-founder and Principal Mark Quattrocchi personally reached out to schools in Sonoma and Lake Counties and took stock of what resources were most immediately needed. For some schools, it was as basic as copiers and copy paper to make take-home packets for distance learning. In other cases, it was Wi-Fi hotspots to grant kids Wi-Fi access who previously could not join their peers for digital learning.

Here is a complete list of what materials/funding were provided and where:

Two Rock School
26 hotspots with 3-month subscription plan – allows access to all cell carriers; a critical need, particularly in rural areas with limited cell coverage
3 cases or 30-reams of copier paper

Roseland Family Food Relief Fund
Donation of $2,500 used by families in need to buy groceries locally

Donation of $1,000 on behalf of QKA from Jeff Warner of Warner Mechanical Engineering (inspired by QKA’s donation)

Roseland University Prep
11 hotspots with 3-month subscription plan

Roseland Creek ES
3 hotspots with 3-month subscription plan
10 cases or 100 reams of copier paper

Roseland ES
10 cases or 100 reams of copier paper

Sheppard ES
10 cases or 100 reams of copier paper

Lake County Schools
20 Wi-Fi Hotspots

“For years, I’ve been aware of the educational inequities that exist in communities of color and economically disadvantaged schools.  When the Coronavirus struck, it shined an even brighter light on this unlevel playing field as these districts tried to implement distance learning,” said Mark Quattrocchi, QKA founding principal. “The nexus for my reaching out to rural and economically disadvantaged schools was an article published in a local North Bay paper, The Press Democrat, which specifically listed Two Rock and Kashia Schools as those struggling to overcome connectivity barriers and a lack of resources. I reached out to those as well as other local schools I was aware may be having trouble, most of which are not out clients. As we have been so fortunate to continue working and moving projects forward during this time, we feel it is our privilege to support local students who have already experienced so much upheaval.”

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CUPERTINO, Calif.—A grand opening event was held recently at Homestead High School (HHS) in the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) to unveil its new 25,000-square-foot Innovation Hub, which provides central and collaborative spaces for programs including visual arts, business, computer science, robotics and shop to serve the school’s more than 2,000 students.

The new facility was designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and built by Swinerton. Blach Construction (Blach) serves as the construction manager for FUHSD’s school facilities improvement program. Designed to meet Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria, the project team utilized solutions such as daylighting and sun-control, energy efficient building systems and sustainable materials. The project was delivered under budget, providing six percent total cost savings during the course of construction.

“The Innovation Hub gives us the opportunity to better serve our students with a progressive and functional space spanning multiple disciplines,” said FUHSD Superintendent Polly Bove. “I know our students and staff have only begun to scratch the surface of what is possible within this building and we look forward to the creativity and collaboration that will occur here. We thank the project team for their dedication, who have helped us create a facility that will be enjoyed by Homestead students for years to come.”

HHS’s Innovation Hub replaces a previously underutilized shop building with a new building that consolidates various programs from across the campus in a central location. Classroom, lab and shop spaces are organized around a flexible hub, providing collaboration and presentation spaces for students and faculty. Additionally, the Innovation Hub creates a new point of entry to the campus and athletic fields, creating a welcoming face for the school along busy Homestead Road. The new building is connected to the rest of the campus through a plaza used for outdoor learning, studying and socializing.

Also designed by QKA, FUHSD broke ground this summer on HHS’s new Guidance and Student Services (GSS) Building. The 9,500 square-foot building is expected to complete next fall and will provide improved administration offices, staff rooms, counseling offices and a College and Career Center. Built by Lathrop Construction, the visible building adds to the school’s vision for a welcoming and secure entry.

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