Quattrocchi Kwok Architects and the San Carlos School District Celebrate Grand Opening of New 40,000-Square-Foot Building

On Monday, Aug. 24, San Carlos School District (SCSD) officials and staff, students, parents, and project team members gathered for a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the Quattrocchi Kwok Architects’ (QKA)-designed new two-story classroom building at Central Middle School. The project, which includes flexible learning spaces, open learning commons and a Tinker Lab to support the school’s and SCSD’s 21st Century learning philosophy, was open to welcome students for the 2015-16 school year on the first day of instruction on Aug. 26.

The two-story, 40,000 square-foot building will serve Central Middle School’s sixth through eighth grade student population, adding additional classrooms and dedicated spaces for science and arts instruction. An early adopter of 21st Century learning concepts, Central Middle School’s new classrooms were designed to operate as Learning Suites, accommodating a variety of student learning styles. The Learning Suites are composed of a pair of classrooms with shared breakout spaces and operable partitions, connecting to two large indoor Learning Commons providing flexible spaces for a diverse range of activities. Central Middle School’s new Tinker Lab will allow for more project-based learning and maker education initiatives. The project was financed through the Measure H Facility Bond Program that was passed by San Carlos voters in November 2012.

“Working to deliver this project for Central Middle School and the San Carlos School District was a very rewarding experience for QKA on all fronts,” said Principal Steve Kwok. “From designing innovative learning environments for a new generation of students to working with our friends at Blach Construction to minimize design and construction time, we are proud of the end result and excited to see the school’s students, teachers and staff thrive in their new space.”

Built by Blach Construction, Central Middle School’s new classroom building was completed in just 14 months, a highly expedited timeline that met a critical project goal in minimizing the impact to the active school site. Through a highly collaborative process, the project team utilized an integrated Building Information Modeling (BIM) system to support the pre-fabrication of many of the building components off-site.

“Our students and staff at Central Middle School, along with all of us here at the District, are very excited to start this new school year off with not only the additional space we need, but a space that truly supports our educational philosophy and will allow us to provide engaging, dynamic, hands-on learning experiences that ensure our students reach their highest academic, social, emotional, intellectual and physical potential. We sincerely thank the entire project team for making our dream a reality in a very short time,” said Superintendent Baker.

Designed using the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria, the project incorporates many sustainable features, including energy efficient building systems, environmentally preferable materials, daylighting and an environmentally responsive site design.

About Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

Santa Rosa-based Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) provides comprehensive master planning, design and construction administration services for Northern California K-12 and higher education, historic renovation and community facilities. With over $1 billion in projects completed in the company’s 29-year history, QKA’s award-winning portfolio reflects a commitment to design that emphasizes environmental sustainability and community impact. Recent projects include American Canyon High School, which is heralded as the “greenest school in America” and has achieved one of the highest scores of a California school to date from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Verified program. Visit: www.qka.com.