Leadership Center Project at Dunn School Scheduled to Open Late 2019

Earlier this year, Allen Construction began work on a new 6,121-square-foot, state-of-the-art, leadership center at Dunn School in Los Olivos, Calif. Once completed, the Cindy Bronfman Leadership Center will be a multi-purpose facility that serves as the hub of whole-student education and leadership at Dunn School.

DUNN School

The new center will feature:

  • Flexible spaces for modern teaching and learning
  • An Innovation Lab for student collaboration
  • The Earwig Café, a student-run snack bar that teaches business and entrepreneurship
  • New College Counseling Center
  • Large Alumni Hall for all-school meetings and presentations
  • Student loft for quiet study and retreat
  • Outdoor balcony with a view of the Santa Ynez Mountains
  • Generous shaded spaces outdoors for reflection and relaxation

The building is designed based on a “first principles” approach by taking full advantage of natural phenomena to achieve energy efficiency. The building will have three large wind chimneys to capture and funnel hot air out the top of the building. The floors will be exposed concrete, which will help cool the building naturally during warmer months, and large bay doors can be opened to allow the Valley breezes to cool the building even further.

“We are excited to be part of this great project for Dunn School,” said Eric Johnson, Regional Director for Allen Construction. “The building’s design falls in line with our philosophy of green building and sustainability.”

The facility is expected to be completed by late 2019. For updates on the project, please visit dunnschool.org.

Featured

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Stanford Online Reveals New Immersive Learning Studio

    Stanford Online recently marked its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new immersive learning studio, according to a university news release. The studio takes advantage of AI-powered and immersive learning technologies to continue delivering personalized and faculty-led education.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.