California High School Debuts $35M Performing Arts Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/04/25

Irvine High School in Irvine, Calif., recently opened its new Performing Arts Center built in partnership with C.W. Driver Companies, according to a news release. The facility cost $35 million and covers about 25,000 square feet. Construction began in January 2023, and the grand opening celebration took place on Feb. 7, 2025.

Amenities include a 650-seat main theater with upgraded sound, lighting, and rigging capabilities; a black box theater; dressing rooms; a scene shop; and central lobby, the news release reports.

“We have envisioned this facility for years, and it’s truly exciting to see it come to life,” said Kelvin Okino, Irvine Unified School District’s Executive Director of Facilities and Construction. “Through the voter’s passage of Bond Measure E, we were able to construct a new state-of-the art Performing Arts Center. The success of the project is a testament to the incredible collaboration and partnership we’ve had with C.W. Driver Companies throughout this process. Together, we’ve created a space that will empower creativity and serve our community for generations to come.”

Materials used include a steel and metal frame diaphragm building and a combination of metal panels, plaster, and curtain walls, according to the news release. The construction process incorporated sustainability techniques like irrigation, deep soil mixing, and landscape planning. The facility will play home to a wide range of student performances, rehearsals, and school events.

“We are honored to have worked on such a world-class performing arts center, which will serve as a beacon of creativity and collaboration for students throughout the district and the Irvine greater community,” said C.W. Driver Companies Project Manager Ashcon Hekmat.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at mjones@1105media.com.

Featured

  • Fort Collins to Convert 1980s Office Park into Junior High School

    The Liberty Common School, a charter-public school in Fort Collins, Colo., recently broke ground on an adaptive reuse project that will convert an 1980s-era office park into a 45,000-square-foot junior high school for seventh- and eighth-grade students, according to a news release.

  • Nureva Pro audio solution

    Nureva HDL Pro Audio Systems Earn HETMA Approved Status

    The Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) has added two solutions from audio conferencing provider Nureva to its HETMA Approved Products list.

  • Texas A&M Adds ALPR Technology to Parking Solutions

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology into its parking services and enforcement strategies, according to a news release. The university’s Transportation Services division deployed Genetec AutoVu ALPR to manage the campus’ 36,000+ parking spaces.

  • Integem Releases New AI-Powered AR Software Platform

    Integem recently announced the release of iPlayer EDU, an AI-powered software platform featuring augmented reality (AR) technology that allows teachers to create immersive educational experiences, according to a news release. The software also includes interactive lessons on a variety of subjects, including planets in the solar system.