C.W. Driver Completes $52.5M K–8 School in California

Builder C.W. Driver Companies recently announced that it has completed construction on a $52.5-million K–8 campus in Irvine, Calif. The new Solis Park School campus measures in at 108,000 square feet and is currently welcoming students in grades K–5, according to a news release.

The seven-building campus features amenities like a child-care facility and commissary, as well as educational environments and features “designed to foster discovery, curiosity, collaboration, and innovation,” the news release reports. Other amenities include an innovation lab for engineering, video production, and robotics; a design lab; dedicated science and music classrooms; dedicated space for special education; and multiple outdoor learning spaces. Physical education classes will take place in a fitness center and an indoor gym.

“We have a strong passion for building schools at C.W. Driver knowing that our work will provide children a safe and modern place to learn for many years to come,” said C.W. Driver Companies project executive Tom Jones. “The Irvine USD schools are absolutely beautiful; it’s with great pride we were included in their program.”

The news release also reports that the school was designed to meet CHPS (Collaborative for High-Performance Schools) criteria. CHPS’ goal is to increase student well-being and performance via facilities that are energy-efficient, healthy, and that subscribe to modern learning pedagogies.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.