California High School Converts Former Armory into Arts & Athletics Center

The Hillbrook School in San José, Calif., recently announced that one of its two adaptive reuse projects on campus is complete, according to a news release. The school partnered with Anderson Brulé Architects and Swenson Development & Construction to convert an armory—built in 1934 and used by the National Guard during World War II—into a new academic space, the Arts & Athletics Center. The new facility includes modern amenities like classrooms, art studios, and a gymnasium.

The reuse of historic buildings is part of the school’s “City as a Classroom” vision, the news release reports. The other adaptive reuse project in progress is the renovation of the Moir Building, built in 1894, into a space for robotics, digital fabrication, and woodshop labs. The facilities will complete the school’s Upper Campus and serve to revitalize the larger St. James Park neighborhood.

“The renovation of the Armory Building is a significant step forward on the path toward fully immersing ourselves in downtown San José,” said Hillbrook Head of School Mark Silver. “This beautifully reimagined space will inspire generations of Hillbrook students and the broader community, and it provides a new launching pad for our school's vision to reach beyond and make a difference in the world.”

The process involved assessing the Armory’s physical condition, a feasibility study for the conversion, and planning and programming the academic space. Work included retrofitting the building and upgrading mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as outfitting it with the technology and future-facing flexible spaces to support the school’s pedagogy. The facility provides a deliberate view of downtown San José to create a connection with local nonprofits, universities, businesses, and museums, according to the news release.

“It’s a true pleasure to be able to deliver a project that achieves so many beneficial goals, from furthering the school’s educational vision to contributing to our San José community by giving new life to a landmark in the city’s architectural heritage,” said Lee Salin, FAIA, managing partner at ABA. “Renovations are also vital to environmental sustainability by reusing existing buildings rather than demolishing and rebuilding.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • i-PRO, NovoTrax Partner for New School Emergency Response Solution

    i-PRO Americas, Inc., which manufactures edge computing cameras, recently announced a partnership with NovoTrax, provider of end-to-end life safety and mass notification solutions, to address gaps in emergency response workflows at K–12 schools, according to a news release.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.

  • K–12 Safety Trends Report Reveals Reliance on Training, Technology

    Wearable safety technology provider CENTEGIX recently released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, according to a news release. The report is based on more than 265,000 incidents during the 2024–25 school year as reported through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, used by more than 800 school districts across the U.S.

  • Key Considerations for Office-to-Higher-Education Facility Conversions

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, office-to-alternative-use conversions have become a recurring subject of urban development discourse. Office utilization rates across major U.S. cities remain below 50%, with vacancy rates exceeding 27% in San Francisco and 16% in New York. Higher education facilities present programmatic and spatial use cases that align readily with the typical characteristics of commercial office buildings.

Digital Edition