Monte Vista High's Workday Student Center Receives Honor Award

The Workday Student Center at Monte Vista High School received an architectural honor award from The American Institute of Architects, Santa Clara Valley at The 2014 Design Awards.

Steinberg Architects designed and built the two-story, 18,000 square foot facility that includes a library, student union, classrooms, study areas and café. The building combines library functions into a student-centered commons where the focus is on collaborative learning and interaction. The student center promotes a cooperative learning process with its mixture of open, active spaces for social interaction and quiet, contemplative spaces for group or individual study. The building also provides inviting outdoor spaces, extending indoor use to the outside and ties into the current campus aesthetic of red standing-seam metal roofs.

Dave Duffield, founder of PeopleSoft and Workday, chiefly funded the design and construction of the $19 million facility that features highly advanced technology and modern architecture.

The Workday Student Center opened on October 29, 2013. Prior to that, the library at Monte Vista hadn’t been upgraded since the school opened in 1965.

Since the opening, the Workday Student Center has been a popular place of gathering among students and staff. The center is a quiet, stress-free location for group projects to meet and the café is a popular lunch spot among many Monte Vista students.

“The Workday Student Center is an amazing building that has changed the culture of our school. The technological resources available to students is beyond what you might find on many college campuses. More than technology, this building has provided an opportunity for students to study, learn, collaborate, and socialize in an environment that is safe and inviting. Monte Vista is fortunate to have been given a gift that will benefit our students and community for many years,” said Principal Janet Terranova.

The Design Awards is a biennial event for Santa Clara Valley architects who submit built and unbuilt projects for consideration.Projects are judged based on a variety of features, including unique design, originality, extended use attributes, sustainability, budget, and use of environmental surroundings.

Information, photos submitted by San Ramon Valley Unified School District