Housed in a mid-century office tower just west of Downtown LA, the campus of this charter school felt more like an outdated urban workspace than a center for progressive youth education and development. The wish list for this renovation was so ambitious that it required dividing the project into multiple phases. These renderings present a comprehensive full-campus plan.

Our solution provided a safer, singular entry point to the campus and building, both aesthetically pleasing and functional as a place for students to gather before and between classes. With the necessity for the parking lot to double as a play area and multi-sport courts, we designed portable basketball hoops, soccer nets, and retractable bleachers over a new sport-friendly surface. With almost zero outdoor green space, we proposed an open-air stage and turf amphitheater to serve the school’s active performing arts department as well as provide ample social gathering area, effectively replacing a considerable section of asphalt with permeable surfaces and bioswales to collect rainwater for irrigation use. In addition, we managed to squeeze in an edible garden where kids learn to grow their own food to then be served in the school cafeteria. The plan includes an ADA-compliant student lunch and study area repurposed from a previously unused planter bed. The final design solution maximized every inch of usable space for a considerably more student-friendly educational environment.