San Diego Unified School District Breaks Ground on Two Modernization Projects

The San Diego Unified School District has officially begun modernization projects on two of its schools: La Jolla Elementary School and John Muir Language Academy. California builders C.W. Driver Companies broke ground on both construction projects last week. Work on both schools will entail renovations of existing buildings as well as the construction of new ones. The architects of record for the project are domusstudio architecture for La Jolla and the Baker Nowicki Design Studio for John Muir.

The work at La Jolla Elementary School (K-5) is scheduled to include upgrading existing permanent buildings and constructing a new two-story classroom and administrative building, a new kindergarten classroom building, a new lunch facility, and a restroom building for the school’s upper athletic field. Modernization of the existing structures includes infrastructure and technology updates, a maker space, outdoor learning areas, and a larger parking lot. An existing kitchen will also be remodeled, and the existing campus administration building will house more classrooms.

John Muir Language Academy Rendering
Photo Credit: domusstudio architecture

At the John Muir Language Academy (K-8), workers will add a new two-story PE locker room and classroom building and a new administration building, as well as expansions of the kindergarten and kitchen facilities. All existing permanent buildings will also be updated.

“C.W. Driver Companies is proud to partner with San Diego Unified School District on the continued updating of its schools throughout the county,” said Keith Kauffman, Project Executive with C.W. Driver Companies. “We will leverage our extensive experience in building education facilities to deliver an engaging, collaborative environment while minimizing the impact of construction on students, faculty and staff.”

The construction at the John Muir Language Academy is expected to last until 2023, while work at La Jolla Elementary School is slated for completion in 2024.

“As the second-largest district in California serving more than 121,000 students in preschool through Grade 12, providing optimized learning environments for our students is a top priority,” said the Chief Facilities Planning and Construction Officer with the San Diego Unified School District, Lee Dulgeroff. “We are confident that C.W. Driver Companies’ modernizations of La Jolla Elementary and John Muir Language Academy will enhance the educational experience and prepare our students for the future.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.