less standardization, more flexibility

8/2/2019 Less Standardization, More Flexibility

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APRIL 2012 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 57

Less Standardization,More Flexibility

S U S T A I N A B L E D E S I G N

byJAMES KISEL, AIA, LEED-AP BD+C

Five new state-funded facilities including a green construction and

transportation academy and a Hollywood-class arts and design academy

are transforming South Tahoe High School into a career tech haven.

TAKING CAREER TECHNICAL

education with a healthy dose o

sustainable design to a whole new

level, several new acilities at South Tahoe

High School are making waves in Lake

Tahoe, Cali.

With the help o close to $30 million

in grant monies rom Career Technical

Education (CTE) and Overcrowding Relie

grants, and Joint-Use and High Peror-mance grants, Lake Tahoe Unied School

District and architect LPA, Inc., have al-

ready completed a CTE Green Construc-

tion and Transportation Academy, a new

classroom building and the Tahoe Arts and

Design Academy (TADA). Construction

is underway or a new Campus Commons

Student Union, and later this year, a Sports

Medicine Academy.

But whats unique about this ve-phase

master plan is that in addition to outper-

orming Caliornias stringent Title 24energy code by 20 percent, each space was

careully researched and programmed to

TADA. The Tahoe Arts and Design Academy(TADA) includes a 275-seat theater, soundstage, tiered-orchestra room, green screenstudio and state-of-the-art editing suites. Itis its located at the campus front door, andserves as an entry point where visitors caneasily be directed to the administrative of-

fices or other buildings.

PHOTOS

COURTESYOFLPAINC./

COSTEA

PHOTOGRAPHY

FACILITIES { LEARNING SPACES }


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58 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / APRIL 2012 WWW.PLANNING4EDUCATION.COM

oer students an exciting and innovative

place to train or technical careers.

In act, upon completing its rst year o

service, the CTE Building was awarded by

Caliornias Coalition or Adequate SchoolHousing in recognition o the acility as

a design solution that creatively meets

educational program needs. In addition,

the new classroom building and the $11.6

million, 27,300-square-oot CTE Build-

ing hosting automotive/transportation

and construction technologies pathway

curriculums also won an AIA Or-

ange County Award or their innovative

approach to school design, and a 2011

Concrete Masonry Design Award rom the

Concrete Masonry Association o Calior-

nia and Nevada.

Commenting on the master plans dual

mission, Project Designer Wendy Rogers,

AIA, LEED-AP BD+C and design principal,

LPA, Irvine, Cali., explains, Its about

sustainability in terms o green or the en-

vironment, but also sustainability in terms

o giving students the skills that they need

to be able to stay in their own community.

Hollywood in Lake TahoePerhaps receiving the most interest at

the moment is the new TADA building,

which has been described as a Hollywood-

class studio up in the middle o the Sierras.

Featuring a 275-seat theater, Foley sound

stage, tiered-orchestra room, green screen

studio and state-o-the-art editing suites,

the 28,000-square-oot building is now

providing a most exciting, hands-on expe-

rience or budding lmographers, actors

and technical stage and television produc-

tion sta, among others.

It is just a phenomenal acility or their

graphic arts and media programs, con-

rms LPA Project Director Steve Newsom,

AIA, LEED-AP BD+C, associate. Theyre

able to do lm editing, sound editing

everything that one would imagine would

be done at a movie studio. And they also

have a small theater to preview that workon a very large screen and present it in a

more intimate setting.

Having just perormed its rst ull-scale

production, 42nd Street, the cutt ing edge

studio and perormance acility is also

being ondly reerred to as a miracle at

6,300 eet.

As part o the preliminary research

and planning or the acility, the building

team toured several studios in Los Angeles,

which ultimately helped guide the task omaking the space as high-tech and proes-

sional as possible. For example, the split-

level TV studio incorporates a lming area

and computer bay. As theyre lming, one

hal o the class can be on the lower level

lming, and the other hal editing eed

rom yesterdays activities on the upper

level, relates Kate Mraw, CID, LEED-AP

BD+C, LPA interior designer.

Design decisions were made to expose

students to skills that would set them apartrom other beginners entering the indus-

try. The Foley foor, the audio and visual

FACILITIES LESS STANDARDIZATION, MORE FLEXIBILITY

Award Academy. The TADA building is 28,000-square-feet of learning space that was designedto provide hands-on experience for budding filmographers, actors and technical stage and

television production staf f. Design decisions were made to expose students to skills that wouldset them apart from other beginners entering the industry.


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editing suites and the recording spaces

are designed to exceed industry standards

and prepare students or careers or urther

education in these elds.

In terms o the overall design, the

architects worked to preserve the existing

structure by choosing a tension grid to

provide ull access to the catwalk space

and display the original exposed beams,as opposed to a dropped acoustical bafed

ceiling.

Another goal was maximizing the

space in terms o creating some mixed-

use areas, despite the act that the spaces

had to be so dedicated. For instance,

something the designers picked up rom

their Hollywood studio tours was the im-

portance o incorporating breakout areas

into the design.

Theres a little outdoor space o o theback side o the building where students

have an area to brainstorm, get away rom


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the computer and be in a social learning

environment, explains Mraw. Theres

also a breakout area with some lounge seat-

ing right o o the multimedia studio and

screening room, so it acts as both a lobby

and breakout space.

Architecturally, the new TADA building

is also lending a whole new look to the

school, thanks to its location right at the

campus ront door. Consequently, the

building is now serving as an important

entry point where visitors can easily be di-

rected to the administrative oces or other

buildings, whereas previously, waynding

was very conusing.

The Career Tech TrendAs evidenced by the increasing number

o grant programs supporting career tech

acilities, there is a growing need or this

particular brand o education, nationwide.

It seems to be something that is really

sparking some interest in a lot o thosestudents or whom the more traditional

scholastic path just doesnt strike a chord,

observes Newsom.

In other words, CTE provides students

with real lie experience and training to

build interest in potential careers, explains

Rogers.

Tying in career tech with whats going

on at South Lake Tahoe, Newsom claims,

This is probably one o the best examples

o the career tech education unding pro-

gram the state put in place under Proposi-

tion 1D that anyone could imagine.

As a ully curriculum-driven program,

the design, conguration and unction o

each o the new buildings has essentially

been inormed by the creation o these

experiential learning environments.

In South Tahoes case, an enthusiastic

and ocused end-user has made or a most

exciting project, according to the archi-

tects. In other words, the school district

brought to the table a very clear vision o

what they wanted to create which inci-

dentally was a key component in qualiyingor all these state grants and then LPA

was able to take them the rest o the way.


Breaking Out. During Hollywood studio tours,designers were explained the importance ofincorporating breakout areas. They includedoutdoor space off of the rear of the buildingwhere students have an area to brainstorm,get away from the computer and be in asocial learning environment. There is also anoutdoor gathering space off of the lobby of

the building for students to relax , study or justenjoy the outdoors.


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We assisted them rom the design

side in converting the curriculum and

the pathways that they had identied or

the acilities, explains Newsom. And

this is exactly what LPA gets passionateabout, where the user and client are a very

integral part o the design team so that

their thoughts, desires and goals drive the

solution.

Oering some advice to other schools

and educational planners who are

interested in hopping on the career tech

bandwagon, Newsom recommends getting

an early start in terms o brainstorming

and planning grant submissions as state

programs, particularly in Caliornia,

are becoming increasingly competitive,

requiring that a high level o detail and

thoughtulness go into the applications i

schools desire to qualiy or state unding

in this arena.

Weaving Into theCommunity Fabric

Another interesting component o this

project was a strong request, on the part

o the City and Tahoe Regional Planning

Agency, to design the new buildings with a

strong rustic Alpine aesthetic with eatures

such as pitched roos and tonal ranges o

architecture. Although there was techni-

cally nothing requiring the school district

to comply, they opted to be good citizens

and ultimately made a departure rom the

fat roos on their existing buildings with

the design o the new acilities.

However, with annual snowall levelsranging rom 125 inches at lake level, to as

much as 500 inches at alpine skiing eleva-

tions, snow melt became a major consider-

ation in terms o student saety.

The design solution was south-acing

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Weather or Not . The Lake Tahoe area has annual snowfall levels ranging from 125 inches atlake level, to as much as 500 inches at alpine skiing elevations, making snow melt became amajor concern. With that in mind, designers included features such as south-facing pitchedroofs on the Classroom Building that shed melting snow into areas of the landscape where

there is no foot t raf fic for the sake of of student safe ty.


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roo slopes that shed melting snow into

areas o the landscape design lled with

dierent rock swales, strategically avoiding

oot tracked areas.

To handle the snow loads, largestructural members were specied with a

modied bitumen roong system over a

rigid polyisocyanurate insulation and rub-

berized, sel-adhered membranes.

As or preserving the Alpine look, the

architects chose Douglas-r wood beams

or the structural members, the majority o

which are exposed, serving as both a struc-

tural system and architectural nish.

Adding yet another local twist to the

project, the school district went with a lease-

leaseback system to keep the contracted

construction work within the community.

Additional Building HighlightsIn addition to the CTE Building and

Arts and Design Academy, the new $16.2

million, 29,200-square-oot classroom

building also known as the Stadium

View building was unded by the Over-

crowding Relie Grant, replaces 12 portable

units and houses laboratories, classrooms

and a dental program. Sustainable high-

lights include optimized site orientation,

daylighting and energy-ecient mechani-

cal and electrical equipment.

Currently under construction is the

new student union, which will ultimately

provide more o a central gathering place

or students, and fexible training spaces,

which can be congured as one big class-

room or as three separate areas.

The students have been scattered about

the campus in hallways and other available

spaces to have lunch, so the new student

union will create a space where they can

mingle, gather or just hangout, right in the

center o the campus, says Newsom.

Later in the year, the team will break

ground on a new sports medicine acility.

As is the case with the other career training

spaces, the program will be curriculum

driven and will refect the communitysoutdoor liestyle and sports activities such

as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, running,

cycling, climbing and water sports. This

state-o-the-art therapy acility will inspire

students toward pathways in physical

therapy, kinesiology and sports medicine,

nishes Newsom.

Career Tech Success StoryAs mentioned, because career tech

training and acilities are such an impor-

tant growing trend, the newly transormed

South Tahoe campus is now serving as

a great example o putting state unding

dollars to work in creating sustainable, in-

spiring and highly unctional, curriculum-driven spaces.

Refecting on the uniqueness o this

project, Rogers concludes, We have

designed several individual CTE projects at

various high schools, but to have this num-

ber o grants approved, and to have this

magnitude o success, has been a rst or

us at LPA. In terms o the unding strategy

and the timing which has been three

years rom inception o the master plan

to having students housed is almost

unheard o. SPM

>>James Kisel is the director of School Planning

and a principal at California-based LPA Inc. He is a

LEED Accredited Professional, and an active mem-ber of the American Institute of Architects and the

Coalition for Adequate School Housing.


What a V iew. Inside the Classroom Building, encompassing 29,200 square feet of learningspace, is also known as the Stadium View building. It replaces 12 portable units and houseslaboratories, classrooms and a dental program. During the design phase, architects decided to

take advantage of it s site orientat ion, which helped with daylighting features, and incorporatedenergy-ef ficient mechanical and electrical equipment.

less standardization, more flexibility

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