LAKESIDE, Calif.—Several buildings on El Capitan High School’s campus in San Diego County were recently renovated to accommodate the school’s continually growing needs. The $7.2 million project took part within the Grossmont Union High School District.

Architect HED worked in concert with general contractor CW Driver on updating the 11,579-square-foot Student Services Building and the 6,000-square-foot Classroom Building at El Capitan High School. Renovations and upgrades at those buildings entailed a new and more efficient MEP system, new windows that feature more efficient glass, adding in LED light fixtures and insulating the “envelope” of the structures.

The classroom building also saw extra work that included upgraded carpets and paint as well as new tiling in some of the restrooms.

Additional work also entailed fashioning a new entrance to the administration building such that its design more seamlessly blends with the rest of the buildings on the campus. The new entry portal is meant to assist with wayfinding and also to give the community a greater sense that the school is part of the neighborhood.

The administration building also saw upgrades to its structure to make it Title 24-compliant and ready it for PV installation, which will make better use of the ample natural sunlight of its Southern California setting.

According to El Capitan’s website, other modernizations at the campus have included modernizing other classroom buildings as well as upgrading the gymnasium and air conditioning facilities. Newer buildings that will be added as part of the school’s overall upgrade plan include a PE complex, science building, event center and band instruction classrooms. Other upgrades are also in the works for the outdoor athletic facilities and updating campus security features.

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LAKESIDE, Calif.—El Capitan High School in Lakeside, near San Diego, now has a new 15,000-square-foot Events Center—a state-of-the-art platform for campus events, performances, and other activities. The new facility includes a spacious event center, lobby and concession areas, band room, practice rooms, dance studio, and drama classrooms. The complex is split into two buildings to create a dramatic entrance with a focal point and strategically designed outdoor spaces.

The project was designed by HED and built by C.W. Driver; it emphasizes multi-functionality, with indoor and outdoor learning and gathering spaces. The event center includes a flat floor with retractable seating and a ceiling pipe grid to promote flexibility for holding various events, including drama productions, band performances, gallery shows and other activities.

The project draws upon the cultural heritage of El Capitan High School’s “Vaquero Pride” and emphasizes and reflects the unique location of the campus near the mountains and to the Sycamore Canyon Preserve.

This is the alma mater of the architect, Jennette La Quire, and the firm has completed a number of projects on the campus (agriculture complex, physical education building, science building, and an administration building now under way).

La Quire and the HED team have worked on a number of high school events centers; this is the second to be finished (Santana High School was the first) and the third (Monte Vista High School) is under construction.

FACTS & FIGURES

project type: design/bid/build
project scale: 15,888 sf
project team:

• Architect (full service): HED
• Contractor: C.W. Driver
• Electrical Engineer: IMEG
• Mechanical & Plumbing Engineering: MA Engineers
• Landscape Architect: Spurlock
• Civil Engineer: Snipes-Dye & Associates
• Structural Engineer: Wiseman + Rohy
• Theater Design: Idibri

project cost: $11 million
project completed: December 2019

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Located at 10410 Ashwood St. on a site that previously housed tennis courts, the new event space features 250 retractable seats to accommodate theater productions, band performances and other events, as well as a lobby, concession and snack bar, storage space, AV room, green room and restrooms. Additional spaces include a drama classroom, band and orchestra suite and dance studio. Communications, janitorial and electrical rooms are also included onsite.

“It was a pleasure to partner with El Capitan High School to create a multifunctional events center that serves as a new focal point for the campus,” said Hank Withaar, vice president at C.W. Driver Companies. “We leveraged our extensive K-12 experience to build a facility that will serve students well and benefit the school’s performing arts programs for years to come.”

Nodding to the region’s iconic sycamore trees, the design incorporates the trees in the landscaping and reflects the lines and angles of the surrounding mountain range. El Capitan High School celebrates a 60-year history serving the educational needs of the Lakeside community.

C.W. Driver Companies partnered with Dena Johnson, project manager at Grossmont UHSD, and architect HED to bring the project to fruition. In addition to Withaar, the C.W. Driver team included Sam Myovich, senior project manager; Carrie Chambers, assistant project manager; Dan Howell, superintendent and Scott Blemker, superintendent.

This project is the latest addition to C.W. Driver Companies’ extensive portfolio of K-12 projects, encompassing more than 120 projects for 22 school districts throughout Southern California.

C.W. Driver Companies is a premier builder serving California since 1919. As a leader in general contracting and construction management services, C.W. Driver Companies is on the cutting edge across a broad spectrum of industries, including education, commercial/office, technology, healthcare/biomedical, mixed-use, assisted living, entertainment, retail, industrial and civic.

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