Silicon Valley Debuts New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/25/21

A new elementary school recently opened in Foster City, Calif., as part of the San Mateo-Foster City School District (SMFCSD). Beach Park Elementary School lies in the Silicon Valley area, about halfway between San Jose and San Francisco, Calif. The district partnered with design firm HMC Architects and general contracting firm C. Overaa & Co. The facility has a capacity of 420 students and was funded through the Measure X bond measure. The bond was passed by voters in 2016 and set aside $148 million to address overcrowding issues in schools.

According to a press release, the school features amenities like classroom clusters with shared indoor and outdoor collaboration areas; a flexible Library/Media Center featuring small group instructional rooms, learning nooks and quiet areas; a multipurpose building with a kitchen and server; flexible furniture placed throughout the building; and accent colors of terracotta, blue and green that represent the school’s vision. It also has 17 individual classrooms, an administration building and an outdoor play area.

As of February 2021, the facility’s budget was an estimated $80 million.

“The school is designed for flexibility and embraces NextGen learning modalities,” said Marko Blagojevic, managing principal of the HMC San Jose studio. “The design team developed classroom clusters, learning nodes and indoor and outdoor collaboration areas in order to heighten indoor-outdoor spatial relationships, flexible learning environments and shared collaboration spaces. It is incredibly rewarding to see excited students and teachers engage in such a setting and take ownership of their environment.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Texas A&M Breaks Ground on Campus Visitor Center

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new campus learning hub and visitor center, according to a news release. The 211,000-square-foot Aplin Center will stand three stories and is scheduled to open to students in 2028.

  • ClassVR headsets

    Avantis Education Revamps Hardware for ClassVR Solution

    Avantis Education recently announced the launch of two new headsets for its flagship educational VR/AR solution, ClassVR. According to a news release, the Xcelerate and Xplorer headsets expand the company’s offerings into higher education while continuing to meet the evolving needs of K–12 users.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Geometrik

    Armstrong World Industries, designer and manufacturer of interior and exterior architectural applications like ceilings, walls, and metal solutions, recently announced its acquisition of Canada-based Geometrik, according to a news release. The British Columbian Geometrik specializes in designing and manufacturing wood acoustical and wall systems.