Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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 [email protected].

Featured

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.

  • 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.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.