Leadership Center Project at Dunn School Scheduled to Open Late 2019

Earlier this year, Allen Construction began work on a new 6,121-square-foot, state-of-the-art, leadership center at Dunn School in Los Olivos, Calif. Once completed, the Cindy Bronfman Leadership Center will be a multi-purpose facility that serves as the hub of whole-student education and leadership at Dunn School.

DUNN School

The new center will feature:

  • Flexible spaces for modern teaching and learning
  • An Innovation Lab for student collaboration
  • The Earwig Café, a student-run snack bar that teaches business and entrepreneurship
  • New College Counseling Center
  • Large Alumni Hall for all-school meetings and presentations
  • Student loft for quiet study and retreat
  • Outdoor balcony with a view of the Santa Ynez Mountains
  • Generous shaded spaces outdoors for reflection and relaxation

The building is designed based on a “first principles” approach by taking full advantage of natural phenomena to achieve energy efficiency. The building will have three large wind chimneys to capture and funnel hot air out the top of the building. The floors will be exposed concrete, which will help cool the building naturally during warmer months, and large bay doors can be opened to allow the Valley breezes to cool the building even further.

“We are excited to be part of this great project for Dunn School,” said Eric Johnson, Regional Director for Allen Construction. “The building’s design falls in line with our philosophy of green building and sustainability.”

The facility is expected to be completed by late 2019. For updates on the project, please visit dunnschool.org.

Featured

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Mesa West Capital Provides Loan to Refinance University of Georgia Residence Complex

    Mesa West Capital recently announced that it has provided a $133.9-million, short-term, first mortgage loan to developer LV Collective (“LV”) to refinance a student housing complex near the University of Georgia, according to a news release. Rambler Athens, a 750-bed residence hall adjacent to the campus, was completed in August 2024.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

  • Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

Digital Edition