New High School Planned in Los Angeles

Amino School Los AngelesOn July 22, 2014 a massive fire broke out and destroyed half of the Animo South Los Angeles High School campus. Located in one of the toughest areas in South Central Los Angeles, an area that was a central trouble spot during the 1964 Watts and the 1992 Rodney King Riots, residents’ median family income is less than $35,000/year and 25-percent of the population lives below the poverty level. Green Dot Public Schools is replacing the burned school with a new public charter high school for 630 students that is visually open but entirely secured.

The replacement building contains 11 classrooms, two science labs, a faculty lounge, new administrative and counseling offices, and public courtyard space for student gatherings and activities.

Designed on an extremely limited budget and aggressive schedule, simple cost-effective gestures were deployed in the use of cladding, fenestration, color and transparency to create a memorable sense of richness, providing a bright moment in an extremely tough inner-city community. Unlike most school that are enclosed by a property line security fence, the South Los Angeles High School building is surrounded by a 20-foot-high perforated bullet resistant metal walls that are integrated into the building design. The project architectural firm is Brooks + Scarpa. Learn more at www.brooksscarpa.com.

Featured

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.