A New School Identity

LPA Inc., Irvine, was brought in early to co-develop a program that responded to that vision, creating a school site master plan and create a future-ready learning environment. “The school had a clear goal of becoming a premier educational destination in the state,” explains Ozzie Tapia, project designer with LPA. “In its pursuit of excellence, TVT embarked on an effort to revamp and strengthen its curriculum to reflect 21st century learning concepts and provide programs geared toward emerging technologies.”

To represent the school’s invigorated approach to education, the program added three new buildings—a maker building, a STEAM building and a fitness building—to provide spaces that promote critical thinking, creativity and a balanced lifestyle. While the original campus design featured materials such as Jerusalem stone and sand-colored plaster, which have evoked specific religious and regional connotations, the new buildings use timeless materials such as brushed metal and glass.

“The new expansion leverages the concept of ‘campus-building,’” explains Tapia, “complimenting the existing architecture in terms of massing and planning while also conveying a unique identity reflective of TVT’s pursuit of educational excellence, through timeless and elegant materials: brushed metal and glass.”

“The new materials were chosen for their transparent, reflective qualities allowing students to literally see themselves through the buildings or reflected on their school environment,” adds Tapia. “This move creates everyday moments that put students at the center of their educational experience reinforcing diversity and inclusion.”

Since one of the biggest challenges was finding available land to build on campus, the new buildings are split between the school’s lower (K-5) and upper campus (6-12). To maintain a balanced activity offering, the school did not want to diminish usable outdoor open space or fields. “The solution was to break down the program into separate buildings that transform underutilized planter areas and landscaped slopes into purposeful learning, social environments,” says Tapia. “The disturbed landscape was replaced with a demonstration green roof and outdoor classroom spaces. The siting of new buildings complements the existing campus courtyard layout.”

On the upper campus, the two-story, 20,000-square-foot STEAM building frames a new quad for the older students while defining a campus entry from an adjacent community center. The Maker Building sits on the lower campus adjacent to the school’s library. The learning environment is organized around shared commons and a teaming room, while focusing on project-based learning and design thinking. The fitness building is tucked into a landscaped slope that leads to the upper campus and can be accessed by stairs or sliding boards that deliver students to its entrance. A green roof and demonstration garden captures direct water runoff.

“Because of the school’s proximity to the ocean and mild climate, ideas of seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, natural lighting and ventilation were the foundations of the project’s design,” Tapia says. “These classic concepts paired with the innovative program requirements create a 21st century learning environment fitting its Southern California location.”

For the project, the designers opted to use a total of 18,420 square feet of ALPOLIC aluminum composite material from Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America Inc., Chesapeake, Va. The panels have four finishes: brushed aluminum, stainless steel, reflective and prismatic. The STEAM Building measures 12,200 square feet, the Maker Building, 5,110 square feet, and the fitness building, 1,110 square feet.

Since the building’s opening, the school has added 120 students, with its largest Kindergarten enrollment ever in 2018, and an enrollment increase of over 5% that continued for the 2019-20 school year. And for the school’s efforts to achieve academic excellence, the school received the maximum accreditation length of seven years.