California Middle School Completes Two New Academic Buildings
Sunnyvale Middle School in Sunnyvale, Calif., recently announced that construction is complete on two new classroom buildings of two stories each, according to a district news release. The new wing will house seventh- and eighth-grade students and is part of a larger campus modernization project. Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and LPA, Inc., provided design services, while Blach Construction handled the build.
The two buildings add a total of 35,000 square feet, 23 adaptable classrooms, an art classroom, five student breakout spaces, a teacher collaboration area, and a 23,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard.
“I am grateful to our community for supporting our bond measures and making it possible to upgrade our school facilities. These improvements will directly enhance the learning experience for our students,” said Sunnyvale School District Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite. “I also want to thank our outstanding project team for staying on track with such an ambitious timeline. This allows us to make a meaningful difference for as many students as possible, as quickly as possible.”
The new wing is on track toward receiving a Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)-Designed certification. Design elements emphasizing sustainability include bioretention basins to capture and filter stormwater as well as solar panels as a source of renewable energy.
“Collaboration was key to bringing the stakeholders and design teams together to meet programmatic goals to deliver a project ready for students to start the school year,” said LPA, Inc., senior project manager Denise Flatley. “Locating the buildings to create a courtyard that connects to Spartan Square, leaving space for the future growth of the campus by utilizing two-story buildings, and emphasizing the need for interior and exterior learning space for the social and emotional growth of the students were our top priorities. The result is a student centric space we are excited to see students use daily.”
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Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].