Services:
Architecture
Structural Engineering
In 2005, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District identified the need for their 21st campus to house the ever growing population in the Santa Maria Valley. The District engaged 19six Architects to develop a new prototype school for the District. The District had recently developed three other elementary school sites, and 19six used the knowledge of those projects to prepare the ideal campus. The campus is arranged around a central quad to allow for outdoor use during the day in a safe and secure environment that requires minimal supervision. It has a combination of turf areas and artificial play surfaces for a diverse experience.
The site boasts an enlarged MPR which can house over half the expected enrollment on campus during lunch hours, an oversized kitchen to serve as a regional kitchen for some of the older campuses nearby with small kitchens, and full basketball and volleyball courts to serve for PE facilities in inclement weather.
The administration building is located near the front of the campus to greet visitors with a main entrance that provides security to the campus. The elevated hallway ceiling allows for daylighting into the public spaces and minimizes the use of electric lighting. It also provides daylight into the interior office and library spaces that do not have exterior windows.
The classrooms are arranged around a central small group study room that allows for a more individualized teaching atmosphere. These rooms also serve as an area that teachers can work outside of the classroom, but still maintain supervision of the class. The rooms are outfitted with the latest in audio visual technology which is housed in the teaching wall. Each room has a clerestory window to bring daylight into the center of the classroom and has exterior windows to allow for daylighting. Large overhangs help shade the windows from direct sunlight and minimize the cooling needed in the spaces.
