SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
The overhaul of the 60-year-old Del Paso Manor Elementary campus has allowed for enhanced technology and state-of-the-art upgrades . PHOTO COURTESY OF PBK teams are busy with an influx of projects that had bonds passed in 2019 but were delayed by the pandemic .
One school exemplifying many facets of improvement is Del Paso Manor Elementary in Sacramento . “ This 60-year-old school had been slated for a remodel , but in the design process , we discovered it wouldn ’ t be efficient to fix it in place ,” says Max Medina , managing partner of architectural firm PBK . Structural rehabilitation to meet current earthquake codes would have been impractical , classrooms were too small for the conduit and plumbing upgrades needed to enhance labs and tech offerings , and the 1950s-era bathrooms were far from ADA compliant .
“ With the school district , we decided rebuilding would solve their problems and provide the best value ,” Medina says . “ That speaks to a lot of what is going on with school construction in California in general , but especially so in established neighborhoods like many throughout the Sacramento region .”
Through the redesign and rebuilding process of Del Paso Manor , security has been greatly improved , classrooms are larger , more energy-efficient and full of technology , buildings are laid out to create an inner courtyard , and the new multipurpose building is state-of-the-art .
One of Del Paso Manor ’ s improvements benefited neighbors as well . “ Traffic congestion at drop-off and pick-up times had clogged streets around the school ,” Medina says . “ We were able to move the buildings back from the street and accommodate the traffic in an on-site drop-off zone . Now our parking lot driveways are actually larger than surrounding city streets .”
Security for a New Era It ’ s an unfortunate fact that security must be a top priority in school design , but creativity and innovation have combined to make campuses far safer while keeping them welcoming . Studio W ’ s Whitmore explains that there are designs that accomplish both goals .
“ Most fundamental is a single point of entry with eyes on the street ,” says Whitmore , whose firm recently finished building a new campus for Winters High School in Yolo County and is currently working on rebuilding Paradise High School in Butte County . “ Many existing school facilities have administration offices in the middle of campus with multiple access points and routes through campus . Also , with no fencing or barriers , anyone can walk onto campus . We try to get that administration front and center so we can
August 2022 | comstocksmag . com 85