Architecture, Design & everything in between
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Education
Cathedral City High School now has their very own swimming pool. After 26 years of bussing students to and from local aquatic centers, the CCHS Lions aquatic teams will have a place to compete and practice with pride.
The ribbon cutting for the pool was held Tuesday, March 21 2017.
Watch a video of the event on CBS.
Fontana USD desperately needed a flexible & budget conscious prototype elementary school that could handle unique site configurations with ease and serve as a template for future schools while fulfilling the district’s educational and sustainable goals.
Thus was born Dolores Huerta International Academy. Designed to house 722 students, it is the first prototype with the flexibility and efficiency of a two-story all-under-one-roof school design concept.
Two double-loaded wings of teaching spaces surround a central core of the library, administration, and shared learning spaces. The flexible sizing of the wings and placement of modular components allow the design to be modified for proper site orientation and varied functional requirements.
A mission-style vernacular was selected for the design to integrate with the residential community surroundings, while single story massing elements have been incorporated to break up and reduce the scale of the 71,000 square foot two story building including overhangs and lunch shelter.
Dolores Huerta International Academy overcame the challenge of a narrow 6.5 acre site by orienting the long wing of classrooms east to west. North & south facing windows are tinted and protected by pop-outs, overhangs, and interior sun shades. These measures allow for natural lighting and great views while protecting from direct sunlight.
This orientation also allows for the use of photovoltaic panels. Anchoring the wing, a large MPR and food service is available for the community and after hours school functions without requiring access to the rest of building. A smaller wing used for kindergarten on the first floor and their 5th grade “buddies” on the second floor is oriented to the south from the central core and includes another indoor social gathering space which provides refuge during particularly hot or windy days.
The all-under-one-roof two-story design of Dolores Huerta International Academy provides for a cost effective, well-organized, and energy efficient solution.
Grouping the functions of the school within one building helps students and faculty quickly access campus functions and shared spaces while remaining in a secure zone and away from the climate extremes of Fontana. This “all under one roof” configuration greatly reduces the amount of exposed exterior wall in comparison with similar multiple building schools, effectively limiting heat loss and gain within the building envelope.
Increased insulation, high efficiency mechanical units (15 SEER), demand control ventilation, and efficient lighting and lighting control system, alongside the integration of an energy efficient building design and orientation have increased the performance of the building to exceed Title 24 minimum standards by 27.1% and helped bringing the project closer to its goal of LEED certification.
As The Desert Sun puts it,
"When they got off the busses they were Aztecs and Blackhawks and Eagles and Knights and Rajahs. When they re-boarded they were 500 film lovers."
Read the entire article here
The Desert Sun recently covered the grand opening of the newly completed Indio High School:
"The long journey to a new high school for students and parents in Indio is over.
Congratulations to all who will enjoy the benefits of this dazzling new facility.
Desert Sands Unified approved the renovation of the campus, which serves 2,000 students, eight years ago. The final work was completed recently and the new facilities went through their official public debut earlier this month."
Read the full article here.
Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke recently completed a unique design-build project at Palm Springs High School. This project presented a unique opportunity to preserve a historic building while bringing it into the 21st Century and capitalizing on the design-build experience of our team.
The Palm Springs High School Auditorium has hosted superstars and high school students alike over its 60-year history. So when it came time to modernize it’s performance and seismic capabilities, keeping the historical nature of the building intact was a priority.
Original exterior of the Palm Springs High School Auditorium,
Original architect, Emerson Stewart Williams.(Center)
The former interior of the Palm Springs High School Auditorium.
Performance auditorium
Orchestra pit
Stage
Back-of-stage
Dressing Rooms
Storage and service
AV Control Room
Lobby
Entryway
7. AV Control Room
9. Entryway
Complete renovation of the interior with improved lighting and acoustics. The original red seat styling was replicated to preserve the historical connection.
Original interior finishes.
The updated lobby embraces the richness of the original materials while providing modern durability.
The new auditorium maintains the original modernist design while providing enhanced lighting and technology.
Original auditorium
East Valley Water District Headquarters
In this week's On the Boards highlight, Project Manager Lance Higgins takes us to the past with an Aquatics Center design in the 1930's Art Deco Style.
La Quinta High School’s culinary kitchen not only provides professional level skills development it affords the...
Chula Vista Elementary School District’s Camarena Elementary School has been awarded ENR (Engineering News Record) Award of Merit for K-12 Construction.
Below please find the link to the March 14 issue of the Superintendent's Newsline from Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Ralf Swenson.
