• The��San Diego Community College District’s��Saville Performing Arts Center Replacement project at San Diego City College��has moved into the schematic design phase.��
• The project will replace the existing Saville Theatre with a new performing arts facility of about��28,000 square feet��designed for academic programs and community use.����
• Scope includes demolition, hazardous materials abatement, utility��relocation��and upgrades, plus site improvements including new walkways and ADA-compliant paths of travel.��
• The work is part of the Measure HH Bond Program, approved in November 2024, totaling��$3.5 billion.��

SAN DIEGO —��The Saville Theatre Replacement Project��at��, part of the district’s Measure HH Bond Program,��has��officially moved��from the programming phase into schematic design.��The project will replace the existing Saville Theatre with a new,��approximately 28,000-square-foot��performing arts facility designed to support academic programs and community use.

The new center will be a modern, flexible venue capable of accommodating a range of performances and events, supporting both campus programming and broader community use.��The��programming��process brought together��faculty��and��staff��members, who��joined the��Design-Build team of����and����for��a series of workshops and discussions��to help shape the project vision, offering insights on��instructional needs,��room configurations, and��how��to best��support teaching,��learning��and live performance.����

Work��will include��the abatement, demolition, and removal of the existing Saville Theatre and the removal and replacement of associated site utilities and appurtenances in alignment with the campus’s Master Plan.��New construction of approximately 20,000 assignable square feet (ASF) includes a street-level lobby with Box Office, restrooms, and manager’s office. A��mew��main theatre will include 250–350 seats, including stage, orchestra��pit��and control room as well as a scene shop and costume shop. Other support spaces include rehearsal rooms, recording/editing��spaces��and dance studios.����

Planned exterior work also includes new walkways, sustainable landscaping and irrigation, signage��and ADA-compliant paths of travel��that will connect to a future outdoor��amphitheatre.��

“We are honored to continue our partnership with the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) on this important project,” said Ryan Nessen,��Senior��Vice��President��and California��District��Manager, according to��a press release from Sundt Construction.����

“This selection reflects the trust we have built over more than two decades and our commitment to delivering high-quality facilities that serve students and the broader community,” Nessen��added.��

Measure HH, approved in November 2024, is a��$3.5 billion��bond program that will provide��state-of-the-art��educational facilities, address long-deferred maintenance needs, and support accessibility and equity across the district’s colleges.��

The project team also includes structural engineering firm KPFF, civil engineer Latitude 33, and mechanical and electrical engineer MA Engineers/Johnson Consulting Engineers.��

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What You Need to Know��

• California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released a final study assessing potential health risks from��recycled-tire��“crumb rubber” used as synthetic turf infill.����

• OEHHA reported no evidence of a��significant��risk of cancer or other health problems for athletes, coaches, referees, or spectators — including young athletes and toddlers.����

• The nine-year effort evaluated��35 fields��across California, analyzed��100+ chemicals, and included air sampling plus exposure research involving��1,000+ soccer players.����

• OEHHA said the findings may help inform California sustainability and waste-tire management goals as synthetic turf use expands statewide.����

Learn More��

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —��California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has concluded that crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires is not likely to pose a significant health risk to people who use or watch games on synthetic turf fields.����

In a March 5 press release, OEHHA said its final report found “no evidence of significant risk for cancer or other health problems” tied to crumb rubber exposure for players, coaches,��referees��and spectators, including young athletes.����

The assessment focused on crumb rubber, the small granules produced by grinding recycled waste tires and commonly used as��infill��between synthetic grass blades. OEHHA said the material helps keep turf fibers upright, adds cushioning and improves traction.����

“This study should ease concerns about the safety of crumb rubber use in synthetic turf fields,” said OEHHA Director Kris Thayer, “Athletes of all ages can use these fields without parents worrying about this commonly used material,” according to��.����

OEHHA said synthetic turf is widely used because it requires less maintenance, uses less��water��and can support play without rest periods. The agency cited more than 900 synthetic turf installations in California.����

The report was also framed as part of California’s broader waste-tire and sustainability efforts.

“Protecting public health is our top priority, and California is committed to making sure waste tires are managed safely so they don’t litter communities or pose risks to residents,”��CalRecycle��Director Zoe Heller said, according to��.����

To evaluate potential health impacts, OEHHA tested 35 synthetic turf fields across the state, selecting both older and newer sites and including locations from each of California’s climate regions. The agency collected multiple samples from each field to address variation in source materials��and also��took air samples during active field use and when fields were idle.����

OEHHA said it assessed more than 100 chemicals that could pose a risk, a broader scope than prior studies that reviewed fewer compounds. The agency coordinated with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to simulate sweat and digestion as part of��identifying��chemicals people could potentially contact.����

OEHHA also worked with researchers from UC Berkeley and the University of Arizona to examine how soccer players may be exposed — including through skin contact,��inhalation��and incidental ingestion. The team surveyed more than 1,000 soccer players ages 7 to 71 about play habits such as sliding and diving, and recorded games and practices to quantify field contact. Because goalkeepers tend to have the most contact with the surface, OEHHA said goalie data were used to estimate risk for players. The analysis also considered toddlers who might crawl on turf.����

In its risk characterization, OEHHA reported no acute risk for athletes, referees,��coaches��or spectators, including toddlers. In most cases, the agency said risks of sensory irritation, cancer, reproductive��harm��or effects on a developing fetus were “negligible.”����

This article is based on reporting originally published by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on March 5, 2026.��

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What You Need to Know��

• Sundt Construction has started site preparation for the Albert Einstein Academy Charter High School facility in San Diego.����

• Sundt described the project as a 96,000-gross-square-foot, five-story campus planned to serve about 800 students, with new construction��anticipated��to begin in summer 2026.��

• The 85,000-square-foot adaptive reuse��project��centers on a light-filled atrium intended to function as a vertical student��commons.����

• Albert Einstein Academies’ board previously postponed the school’s opening to fall 2027, citing supply chain delays.��

Learn More��

SAN DIEGO —��Sundt Construction has started work on the Albert Einstein Academy Charter High School project in San Diego, moving into early site preparation ahead of new construction expected later this year.����

“Breaking ground on this project is an exciting milestone.��We’re��proud to help create an environment that will support students’ growth,��curiosity��and future success,” said John Messick, Sundt project director, according to��.��

In its announcement, Sundt said the future campus is planned as a��96,000-gross-square-foot,��five-story��facility designed to support International Baccalaureate instruction and the academic progression of Albert Einstein Academy’s middle years program students. Once complete, the high school is expected to serve��approximately 800 students, Sundt said.����

Planned spaces include 25 classrooms and workrooms, a library, central circulation and collaboration areas, administrative offices, a multipurpose room, food service and culinary classrooms, fitness, dance and weight rooms, a music room and a 200-seat auditorium, according to Sundt. The contractor said the first phase is focused on site preparation, including abatement and removal of the existing building, with new construction anticipated to begin in summer 2026. The adaptive reuse project will be��organized��around a central, light-filled atrium that serves as a vertical��student��commons. It will include��flexible collaboration zones, quiet study��areas��and outdoor learning balconies intended to give students more choice in how they learn and connect.��

Civic��and activity-based programs are planned for the first two stories to allow easier access for community members. The primary community hub and main entry are planned for level three at street level, while classrooms, labs and other academic instruction spaces are planned for the two upper levels.����

Separately, the Albert Einstein Academies Board of Trustees announced that it postponed the opening of Albert Einstein Academy Charter High School. “Originally scheduled to open in Fall 2026, the new high school will now open in��fall 2027,” according to��. The charter operator cited supply chain delays affecting construction materials.��

The��school will��ultimately reach��800 students��in grades 9–12 in the��2029–2030��academic year.��

Sundt��has supported San Diego Unified School District across multiple K-12 facilities, including current and recent work at Hardy Elementary School, Canyon Hills High School, Marston Middle��School��and Morse High School.��

This article is based on information published by Sundt Construction, DLR Group and Albert Einstein Academies.��

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What You Need to Know

• West Contra Costa Unified School District recently celebrated completion of the Lake Elementary School Campus Replacement Project in San Pablo, Calif.
• The Bond Measure R-funded, design-build effort replaced an outdated campus and will serve 470 students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade.
• New construction totals 56,700 square feet and includes learning-suite classroom clusters, a library, administrative spaces and a multipurpose building with a kitchen sized to serve the full student body.
• Safety and accessibility upgrades include higher-elevation synthetic turf fields and new paved play areas, replacing flood-prone grass fields.
• The multipurpose room and library are planned for permitted community use after hours.

Learn More

SAN PABLO, Calif. — West Contra Costa Unified School District recently celebrated the completion of a new Lake Elementary School campus replacement designed to deliver modern learning environments for students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade.

The Bond Measure R-funded project replaced an “outdated and undersized campus” and was delivered through a design-build partnership between Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Alten Construction, according to a press release from QKA.

The new campus is designed to serve 470 students and introduces 56,700 square feet of facilities that extend beyond standard classroom space. In addition to new instructional areas, the project includes a library, administrative spaces and a multipurpose building with a large kitchen that can serve the full student body, the release states.

“This campus marks a new era for our students and the entire community,” said WCCUSD Superintendent Cheryl Cotton. “These facilities are a source of immense pride, replacing buildings that were no longer up to code or capable of supporting our educational programs. The campus now provides students and staff with the essential resources they need to thrive. Thank you to the project team and the community for your support in bringing our new school to life.” according to .

Instructional areas are organized around the “Learning Suite” concept intended to support specialized and collaborative teaching. Under the approach, classrooms are grouped around shared, flexible open spaces and break-out areas, the release states.

Site work prioritized safety and accessibility, including replacing flood-prone grass fields with higher-elevation synthetic turf fields and adding new paved play areas. The release also positions the campus as a civic hub, with the multipurpose room and library available for permitted community use after school hours.

“We are proud to partner with the district and Alten to make the new Lake Elementary School a reality. Our priority was ensuring a safe learning environment both during the complex phases of construction and for generations of students to come,” said QKA Principal John Dybczak. according to .

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What You Need to Know:��

• DLR Group released renderings and a modernization plan to replace��roughly 30%��of Palisades Charter High School classrooms lost in the Palisades Fire one year ago.��

• The plan includes a new two-story classroom building, a single-story academy building, and restored athletics facilities, with interim spaces planned to keep programs running during construction.��

• Los Angeles Unified School District expects a partial campus return in January, with major construction slated to begin in late 2026 and full occupancy��anticipated��in 2028.��

• Design priorities include expanded career technical education space, indoor-outdoor learning areas, and wildfire-resiliency strategies spanning site planning, materials, and indoor air quality protections.��

Learn More:��

LOS ANGELES — DLR Group has unveiled a rebuild and modernization plan for Palisades Charter High School, releasing new campus renderings on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire that destroyed about 30% of the school’s classroom space.��

Working with Los Angeles Unified School District and community stakeholders, the design team said the effort is intended to return students and staff to permanent facilities while adding flexible learning environments and resiliency features shaped by wildfire risk.��

As lead architect, DLR Group’s scope includes a new two-story classroom building and a single-story academy building, along with a restored track and field area that adds a new field building and a renewed facility to replace the baseball field. The firm said construction sequencing will incorporate strategically placed spaces to support on-campus programs while work is underway.��

Los Angeles Unified plans a partial campus return this month, using remediated surviving buildings and modular interim classrooms. New-building construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with full occupancy of the reimagined campus��anticipated��in 2028.��

Programmatically, the team is using the rebuild to address spaces lost in the fire and update learning environments. With career technical education areas impacted, the two-story building is planned to centralize film, media, engineering, and maker spaces. DLR Group said the CTE suite is designed to support acoustic needs, advanced filming capability and indoor-outdoor flexibility. The plan also adds collaborative and gathering areas intended to serve the broader campus.��

The design concept emphasizes interwoven indoor-outdoor circulation and gathering spaces, extending learning beyond traditional classrooms.��DLR��Group said the approach draws inspiration from the campus setting between coastal cliffs and a canyon. Planned features include learning stairs; ground-floor science, engineering, and maker spaces connected to outdoor learning zones; and stacked classroom configurations paired with adjacent teacher collaboration areas. Outdoor plazas, rain gardens, and amphitheater-like spaces are intended to support layered moments of learning and gathering.��

Fire resiliency measures are embedded in both site planning and building systems, according to the release. Landscape strategies include native, fire-adapted plantings, terraced slopes, shaded fuel break areas, and a maintained 30-foot defensible zone around new buildings that��avoids��woody plants and bark mulch while using fire-resistant ground covers. Stormwater features are designed to serve as fire breaks while providing rainwater collection.��

On the building side, DLR Group said the design specifies Class A roofing and non-combustible cladding, including metal panel systems and brick veneer to align with existing campus architecture. To support indoor air quality during wildfire events, the buildings are designed to shift to a protective mode, with sealed economizers, reduced roof penetrations and rooftop mechanical strategies intended to limit smoke intrusion. Rooftop solar panels are planned to provide power support during emergencies.��

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LOS ANGELES — Construction is officially underway on the $72 million Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building at Los Angeles City College (LACC), a major project that will anchor the center of campus and advance the Los Angeles Community College District’s (LACCD) sustainability goals. Designed by Steinberg Hart, the four-story, 67,230-square-foot facility will combine historic architectural character with contemporary instructional and sustainable design elements.

When complete in early 2027, the new building will serve as a prominent gateway to the LACC campus, providing sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. The building will house instructional rooms, IT help areas, campus safety operations, a multipurpose room, and faculty and student resource spaces. A fourth-floor outdoor terrace will provide a gathering space with panoramic views, but natural light will be prominent feature inside as well thanks to fritted curtainwall facades on the east and west lobbies that help to maintain temperature and reduce glare while maintaining privacy and visual connection to the surrounding campus.

Jacobs will serve as the project manager, with McCarthy Building Companies serving as general contractor. McCarthy Building Companies recently broke ground on the project — continuing a longstanding relationship with LACCD.

“We are excited to bring the Cesar Chavez Administration & Workforce Building to Los Angeles City College as it will offer a variety of much needed resources while also serving as an anchor to welcome students and staff,” said Michael Kim, senior vice president at McCarthy Building Companies, in a statement. “This is our tenth project with the LACCD, and it is such a pleasure to create robust educational facilities that produce significant learning outcomes.”

Sustainability is central to the project’s design, which aligns with LACCD’s goal of achieving net zero by 2040. The facility will include an 80 kW AC solar array system and a battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of providing up to eight hours of backup power. The surrounding central quad will feature native vegetation, light-colored paving, and a Solar Reflection Index (SRI) “cool” roof to mitigate the urban heat island effect. All sustainable elements are being designed to meet LEED Gold certification standards.

Founded in 1929, LACC is the oldest of the Los Angeles Community Colleges and has played a pivotal role in shaping higher education across the region, including serving as the original home of what became the University of California, Los Angeles. Today, LACC continues to serve one of Los Angeles’ most diverse communities, including East Hollywood, Hollywood, Silver Lake and Echo Park. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building was funded by Measure CC.

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By Denzil D’Sa and Jack Carter

Across California, universities are racing to meet the evolving demands of today’s students — none more urgent than the need for on-campus housing. Once considered “commuter colleges”, many public institutions are now experiencing a seismic shift as more students seek a residential university experience. This change is reshaping campus master plans and challenging school leaders to rethink how student housing is delivered — faster, smarter and with less disruption.

For example, California’s CSU (California State University) and UC (University of California) systems are facing a mounting student housing crisis fueled by rising enrollment, limited on-campus housing, and unaffordable rental markets surrounding many campuses. Combined, these pressures have left tens of thousands of students without stable housing options. UC campuses report a shortfall of more than 20,000 beds, while CSU estimates its gap to be over 14,000. This has left many students on lengthy waitlists, commuting extreme distances, or facing housing insecurity that directly impacts their ability to succeed.

Responding to the Housing Crisis with Innovation

Enter Progressive Design-Build (PDB), a collaborative, solutions-forward delivery method that’s helping universities break ground faster and open doors sooner, all while maintaining quality and cost control. This design-build model has reshaped what’s possible, allowing companies like McCarthy, a long-standing partner in California’s higher education landscape, to deliver more than 5,000 student beds in the last four years.

From Concept to Completion in Record Time

At San Francisco State University (SFSU), the clock was ticking. The campus urgently needed student housing to support its growing population and improve the student experience. Thanks to the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery method, project stakeholders were engaged from the very first design workshop through to ribbon-cutting — enabling the construction and delivery of 700 beds in just 17 months. That pace makes it the fastest-delivered housing project in the California State University (CSU) system to date.

Early alignment with the university, designers — EHDD Architecture, and trade partners allowed the team to evaluate options, control costs and iterate in real time — rather than waiting for full design completion before pricing and procurement. This approach built deep trust between the university and the design-build team, a critical element for making decisions at speed.

Speed was supported not just by process, but by purpose. The team prioritized minimizing disruption to ongoing campus life, particularly since construction occurred during active school sessions. Deliveries and site activities were coordinated around academic calendars to reduce noise, traffic and student impact — especially during finals and move-in weeks.

Student-centered thinking also influenced material selection and scheduling. The design and preconstruction teams worked closely with SFSU to choose materials that supported the campus vision while navigating the constraints of an occupied site. “Through the early partnership with SFSU, we were able to release long lead items — like electrical equipment — early to ensure timely delivery,” shared McCarthy Building Companies Senior Project Engineer Lana Jarnutowski.

Operations personnel were brought in early to contribute to design decisions and foster strong collaboration with the broader team. According to Jarnutowski, that trust laid the groundwork for seamless field execution. “Together, we designed and built a place where 700 people can call home. That is something we should all be proud of.”

The result? A state-of-the-art student housing community delivered not just on time, but ahead of expectations. Today, SFSU has a signature facility that reflects its evolving identity, enhances student success, and supports a vibrant living-learning environment.

The success of this project demonstrates the power of early collaboration and flexible delivery models — an approach that’s now being used to accelerate other projects across California.

Scaling the Model Across California

Following the success at SFSU, McCarthy’s approach is scaling across multiple campuses. At UC Riverside, a similar progressive design-build model is being combined with prefabricated Cold Form Steel (CFS) panels to deliver 1,500 student beds in just 23 months. This evolving delivery method — Progressive Design-Build + Prefab = Accelerated Results — is now being applied at UC Davis, where the team is building on lessons learned to enhance speed, quality and efficiency on its next major student housing project.

This kind of “rolling expertise” is critical for higher education systems managing multiple projects across different locations. Rather than starting from scratch each time, institutional leaders can rely on proven delivery partners to bring transferable knowledge, repeatable systems and a tested playbook for success.

The Shift from Commuter to Campus Community

Behind all these housing projects lies a deeper story. Once known as commuter schools, institutions like SFSU and UC Riverside are now embracing a residential campus identity, providing students with immersive, community-oriented environments. This is not just about beds; it’s about creating spaces where students can thrive, learn and grow.

Amenities such as study lounges, wellness spaces, community kitchens, and outdoor courtyards are no longer “nice to have” — they are expectations. And because design-build teams are engaged early, these features can be designed, priced, and integrated efficiently into the plan without creating late-stage cost overruns or schedule delays.

Driven by student needs and supported by delivery innovation, this shift is shaping a new era of campus development. Institutions are turning complexity into clarity and crisis into opportunity. They’re reimagining the college experience not as a logistical challenge, but as a chance to create spaces that reflect their mission and meet the real needs of their students.

As funding opportunities like California’s $2 billion Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program continue to drive new projects forward, the importance of smart, student-centered delivery models will only grow.

Denzil D’Sa is Preconstruction Director and Jack Carter is Vice President, Project Executive with

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By Lindsey Coulter

When devastating wildfires rendered nearly 40% of Palisades Charter High School’s campus unusable in January, administrators at the Los Angeles school faced a daunting question: how to resume in-person education for thousands of students on short notice.

While students continued their education via Zoom, school officials and project partners found a more concrete solution in the form of an unlikely structure—a 100,000-square-foot former Sears department store. The building was renovated and retrofitted in just over a month into a fully functioning temporary high school for Palisades Charter High School’s nearly 2,500 students, educators and staff members.

The fast-tracked success of the project was driven by a coordinated team of experienced partners. Led by C.W. Driver, a general contractor with a long history of K-12 construction, the project involved stakeholders including Gensler, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Fire Department. Key subcontractors included AJ Kirkwood & Associates, ProCraft Construction, ACCO, Raymond Group and Continental Painting, among others.

A Blank Canvas with Built-In Advantages

While the former department store was never intended to host classrooms, its existing infrastructure, modern upgrades and open-plan layout helped accelerate the transformation to a temporary home for education.

The building had already been partially renovated in 2020 by developers who converted the four-story structure with plans for filling it with offices and restaurants. Those plans were derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the completed work provided the project team with a critical head start. Improvements that were made prior to the conversion—including seismic reinforcement, new HVAC systems, an upgraded electrical system, and code-compliant fire and life safety measures—allowed the design and construction teams to bypass long-lead procurement items and some of the more costly equipment of the project.

“The foundational attributes of the Sears building allowed the team to create a functional, safe, and surprisingly effective temporary high school environment in an exceptionally short timeframe,” said Jaime Macartney, project executive at C.W. Driver Companies.

Each floor of the building offered 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of open layout—essentially, a structural blank canvas. That flexibility proved critical. Cost- and time-effective partition walls were deployed quickly to carve out roughly 90 classrooms and various support spaces.

The steel-and-concrete structure offered a robust shell, while its adjacency to public transit and ample parking made it logistically appealing. A pedestrian tunnel connecting directly to the drop-off area was another bonus for student and parent access.

“The entire construction timeline was approximately five weeks, with crews working six days a week in swing shifts, totaling around 25 active workdays,” Macartney noted.

That kind of pace required not only expertise, but relentless commitment. According to the firm, team members relocated temporarily to stay near the site. Senior Superintendent Ray Weaver led the on-site crew with what colleagues described as “decisive leadership.”

“There were no finalized plans or permits when we started,” Macartney said. “The team had to operate at an unprecedented pace, coordinating around the clock with Gensler, subcontractors and regulatory agencies.”

Retail Roots, Educational Challenges

Despite the building’s advantages, adapting a former retail space into a place of learning required significant ingenuity and problem-solving. Chief among the challenges were determining ideal circulation and adjusting acoustics to better support learning and focus.

“The building met code for life safety features like elevators and stairwells, but the building conveyance was not designed for high-frequency, high-volume movement, such as class transitions every hour,” Macartney said.

Navigating the space proved difficult in the first weeks of occupancy, especially with several thousand students and staff members circulating simultaneously. The design team and school officials collaborated closely to refine pathways and mitigate congestion through operational tweaks.

Mitigating noise, however, was an even trickier obstacle. “The open, concrete-and-steel structure allowed sound to travel easily—so much so that someone could speak from one end of the building and be heard on the other,” Macartney explained.

To resolve this, a multi-layered acoustic strategy was implemented. Partition walls were enhanced with carpet donated by companies including Mohawk and Shaw, and acoustic wall panels were installed. Additionally, “InsulQuilt” sound blankets were suspended from the ceiling deck to the top of the walls.

Read more about the effort to quickly create a safe and stable place for students to learn, connect and continue their education — and how teams navigated supply-chain challenges — in the May/June issue of �鶹������.

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By Fay Harvey��

Construction is progressing on the new Bezdek Center for the Performing Arts at Crossroads School for Art and Sciences, a college preparatory school in Santa Monica, Calif. The new 58,000-square-foot facility will house state-of-the-art learning, performance and rehearsal spaces as well as the school’s Equity & Justice Institute. Completion is anticipated for early 2026.

The center was designed by Los Angeles-based architectural firm Studio Pali Fekete Architects (SPF:a) and led by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, design principal, and co-founder. The firm is well versed in performing arts projects, having also completed design work for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the renovation of the Pantages Theatre, both in Los Angeles. Douglass Design + Build of Thousand Oaks, Calif., was selected to construct the project and broke ground in 2024.��

When project development began in 2019, SPF:a envisioned a series of technically refined spaces that open to a sleek courtyard. As the Covid-19 pandemic began, however, the design-build team—which also included audiovisual engineering and installation company AMT Systems Inc. of Santa Clarita, Calif., and LA Propoint of Sun Valley, Calif., for theatre infrastructure expertise—adapted to shifting conditions to ensure the project’s successful completion.��

The site was a determining factor for many structural aspects of the project, including the placement of the main theater. To accommodate height restrictions, designers positioned the stage fly—a mechanical rope system necessary for stage changes and curtain control—at the lower end of the site to slope upward from north to south. Additionally, the stage floor will be aligned with the side alley, eliminating the need for ramps and lifts.

An additional design challenge was centralizing the fragmented performing arts facilities into a cohesive 55,000-square-foot building while preserving the spirit of the site’s industrial heritage. To achieve this goal, the firm designed a structurally straightforward building with a network of practice rooms, rehearsal spaces and seminar rooms. The space more than quadruples theatre seating, as the new Stern Family Theater will offer space for 650 attendees. A new flexible-use open-air lobby connects to the smaller 100-seat performance space, which will host rehearsals and more intimate events. Supporting these spaces are a multipurpose filmmaking classroom, practice spaces, music classrooms, ample storage areas, and an electronic music and recording studio.��

“Programmatically, our design attempts to fit into and preserve the spirit of the industrial use prevalent in the site’s history,” Pali said. “We centralized the activity of the current fragmented performing arts facilities into one highly rational and structurally simple expression.”��

While the programmatic requirements and adjacencies are governed by functionality and simplicity, the building’s identity is more literally expressed in its form. On the exterior, the venue evokes the spirit of the performing arts through materiality and design. Via white plaster carve-outs, the building plays with the abstract shapes of musical instruments—including the body of a violin, the bell of a trumpet and the neck of the guitar—to create architectural elements such as the marquee and grand stair opening. Meanwhile, dark bronze, vertical, corrugated aluminum exterior panels mimic the texture of stage curtains while also echoing the area’s industrial history. The smooth white plaster carve-outs juxtapose the industrial elements, creating a cohesive design that respects the past while looking forward to the future.����

Read more about the project, including design approaches and the new Equity & Justice Institute, in the ��

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