California District Opens New Robotics Center

The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) in Cupertino, Calif., recently held a Grand Opening ceremony for a new, district-wide Robotics Center, according to a news release. The 14,500-square-foot facility was designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA); Landmark Constructors served as the builder and Blach Construction as general construction manager. The space will be used by students from all five of the district’s high schools.

The building is located at Cupertino High School, and amenities include a dedicated robotics field space with audience seating, academic classrooms, team collaboration areas, and a workshop. The facility has the capacity for about 900 students and was funded through Measure G bond funds, the news release reports.

“Seeing our students get to step into this facility is an incredibly proud moment for our entire district,” said District Superintendent Graham Clark. “For years, our talented students worked wonders in makeshift, portable spaces. Thanks to the support of our local community and project team, we now have an environment where our award-winning robotics teams can take their work even further.”

The building incorporates design elements necessary for robotics design and testing, including high ceilings for testing aerial drones, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) flooring to protect components and equipment, and Wi-Fi systems that won’t disrupt the signals involved with operating robots. It also features acoustic wall paneling and roof decking, integrated daylighting controls, and advanced security, according to the news release.

“Designing a facility this specialized required close collaboration with the educators, mentors, and students at the heart of the program,” said Nick Stephenson, QKA Principal. “The result is a purpose-built environment that provides the technical capabilities the program demands while creating an inspiring space where students can experiment, collaborate, and bring their ideas to life.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • DLR Group Hires Three for Higher Education Practice

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has brought three new hires on board to help shape its higher education practice in California and the northeast, according to a press release.

  • Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Agricultural Sciences Complex has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.