Wilcox High School

Science Building: Intrinsic to the project was the process the District and our firm went through to arrive at "one" design solution which would then be constructed on two high school campuses. The solution developed out of weekly meetings with the Science Departments from each high school. Each Science Department had distinctly different personalities and ideas which led to an exploration of what this building will be and how will it work. Both Committees stressed that they wanted a building that encouraged "exchanges" of ideas between faculty and created a learning environment that was flexible. Our firm met with each committee separately until one plan was developed that incorporated the ideas from each Committee. The joint meetings between the two Committees served as an additional springboard of ideas and further refined the project. Locating the building on each site posed great difficulty due to the limited free space available on each site. Several options at each site were explored until the buildings arrived in their respective locations. At Santa Clara High School, the building wraps around the an existing Shop Building. This location required the demolition of the existing tennis courts and the construction of new courts once the building was completed. Wilcox High School posed an even greater challenge. The most advantageous location for the building was where an existing baseball field stood. The funds for the original construction of this baseball field was given to the District by a former student who went on to star in the Professional Baseball League. After much debate, the District made the difficult decision to relocate the baseball field. The floor plan developed revolves around a Teacher Prep Core that is essentially an enlarged double-sided corridor. This allows each Classroom Lab to have access to the Core Area and by bending the Prep Core into an "L" shape, the effect of a long never-ending corridor was reduced. This Central Core allows convenient access "mingling" space. At the intersection of the "L", additional teacher group space, a lounge and offices, anchor the two legs. The Committees also expressed a need for a lecture room that could house at least two classes; for demonstrations and for team teaching. This room, in plan, is broken off from one end of the "L", utilizing a roof access stair as a separation zone. The building, as planned, houses ten science lab classrooms, a computer lab, chemical storage, prep core, faculty lounge, faculty offices and a lecture room. For f;exibility, each science lab is outfitted exactly the same; any type of science can occur in each one from chemistry to physics to biology. Cabinetry around the perimeter provides all the utilities such as power, gas, vacuum and water allowing the room to be organized as needed. The lab tables can be moved to any location along the perimeter cabinetry creating typical student seating in the middle of the room. This set up allows the class to sit comfortably at desk then move to the lab tables for experiments instead of the typical lab or lecture only plans. Natural light is provided through four large windows located in pop outs along the exterior walls. These pop outs house grow shelves which are grated to provide drainage and lit by grow lights housed in soffits above. They also serve to break up the exterior walls; a different material (ceramic tile) further delineates this feature. For lab purposes, each window is outfitted with room darkening curtains along the typical blind type window treatment. Each wall of the classroom provides data outlets. Located as we are in the Silicon Valley the building needed to reflect the high tech spirit of the area. Each "like" space within the building is treated whether in mass, material or color. The Prep Core rises up creating clerestory windows which allows this space to be lit naturally. To break up the clerestory on the exterior, the exhaust for the fume hoods in the classrooms are expressed by chimney forms. The lounge intersection soars up to reinforce the collision of the two legs while the office space drops down to be enclosed by the aluminum curtain walls. The break between the lecture room and the "L" is reinforced by a tower like structure clad in ceramic tile. Along with the window pop outs, the exterior is treated with half-moon shaped scuppers reminiscent of the curved standing seam roofs over the clerestory and lecture room. Human scale is provided by curved canopies with cut outs in the metal roofing at the window pop outs allowing light into the classrooms and constructed out of tube steel plates creating a light and airy structure. Performing Arts Building: Santa Clara Unified School District and the City of Santa Clara collaborated in the development of this joint-use high school and community theatre project. This 22,100 S.F., ten million dollar project provides a 400-seat auditorium for Performing Arts. Equipped with a legitimate stage with full fly, orchestra pit with spiral lift, accommodate sophisticated performance art for theater, music and dance in an intimate environment. A connected black box theater, that offers alternative live theater opportunities, the dynamic lobby with the traditional theater. The black box provides multipurpose rehearsal and dance facilities when not being used for alternative theater. Back stage facilities include dressing, scene shop, storage and educational facilities.