California School Showcases Modernization

Solana Highlands Middle SchoolSolana Highlands Elementary School in the Carmel Valley (California) recently enjoyed the completion of a full refresh and modernization. The structure has served students for 30 years, and with the passage of the Solana  Beach School District’s Measure JJ School Bond, has been updated with modern HVAC, exterior renovations, and classroom spaces, among other elements.

Some of the additional steps taken include the removal of steps and lowering of fixtures to make the school more ADA-compliant.  Students will also benefit from an updated outdoor lunch shelter and indoor service area, and the addition of astroturf to the outdoor play area. Staff will enjoy a larger teacher’s lounge and the addition of more storage space.

The project was started in June, and a majority of the work was completed by the time school began. An official ribbon-cutting celebration will take place in mid-January 2018, showcasing the updated space during an all-school assembly.

Featured

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.