Phase 1 accommodates 360 K-5 students in a two-story administration and classroom building, along with a separate kindergarten wing. A Great Room serving as a cafeteria, gymnasium, and multi-use space is shared by students, teachers and in off hours, the surrounding community. The building also houses the Community Health Clinic, TV studio, and the District IT Data Center.  Phase 2 will deliver a program-based high school, a child development center, and the remaining site work.  All three schools are integrated into one complex, but each maintains its own identity with separate, designated entryways. The project replaces outdated classrooms and district facilities that had occupied the site for decades. Continued and unimpeded school occupancy during all phases of construction was one of the biggest project challenges and was delivered through careful phasing.

The urban school site is less than 50% of the state’s recommended size. Though challenging, by working with the various stakeholders, the design team incorporated features such as learning hubs and courtyards, edible community garden, a large turf field and play areas, maximizing the efficiency of the site. The site constraints encouraged many spaces to be shared by multiple users, promoting integration and interaction. Features such as the edible garden allow students to actively understand the importance of teamwork, creativity and nutrition.  As a learning tool, the complex utilizes several interactive “energy dashboards” to illustrate real time energy produced and consumed on site.

High performance sustainability was a primary driver of the design. The orientation of the campus maximizes natural daylight through the use of high performance glazing. Cool towers are positioned to use the prevailing breezes to provide cooling and displacement ventilation eliminates the need for air conditioning throughout the campus. Photovoltaic arrays are positioned strategically to serve the daily electrical loads. Rainwater harvesting tanks are used to irrigate the gardens, teach water conservation, and minimize impacts to the city’s infrastructure. All aspects of sustainability are highly visible and transparent. This project aggressively utilized CHPS criteria to establish the entire campus as a teaching tool through its responsible design and resource use.

The complex is now used on a regular basis for a wide range of activities, including community meetings that have continued on in the multi-cultural, multi-lingual format first used in the community design sessions. The health clinic is available to all students and staff, their families, and the surrounding community. Prior to this project, the community did not have access to these facilities or had to travel an impractical distance for them. The presence of the new campus has become a source of great pride for the District and the project stakeholders and has been a key part of a community transformation. Since Phase 1 was completed, the surrounding neighborhoods have seen a sharp drop in the crime rate.