Stella Middle Charter Academy in Los Angeles by Berliner Architects

Article source: Berliner Architects

Located on previously vacant land in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles, Bright Star School’s Stella Middle Charter Academy, designed by Berliner Architects, is a valuable addition to the community, providing new facilities and resources. The neighboring Baptist Church planned its development. Through the shared use of a large parking lot and new school gymnasium, the 500-student charter school and the church both benefit. The Bright Star charter school organization provides quality educational opportunities to students in underserved areas, encouraging kids to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers. The design of the school communicates this mission to the community and sends the message that quality education and learning is happening there.

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

• Architects: Berliner Architects
• Project: Stella Middle Charter Academy
• Location: Los Angeles
• Photography: Tom Bonner
• General Contractor: Consolidated Construction
• MEP Engineer: AMA Consulting Engineers
• Structural Engineer: IMEG Corp.
• Civil Engineer: Rhyton Civil Engineering
• Landscape: Office of the Designed Landscape
• Clients Authorized Representative: Pacific Charter School Development

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

Approximately one acre in area, the site is optimized through the careful orientation of the classroom building, gymnasium, and play fields. The front entry of the school is on a main thoroughfare, with a tree-shaded walkway leading to the front door. Outdoor learning spaces are located along the walkway with shade provided by trees. The gymnasium is accessed off the front entry, allowing it to be used for church and community events when the rest of the school is closed.

The three-story school is oriented north-south, providing ideal natural light in the classrooms along with views of the Baldwin Hills to the south and Hollywood Hills to the north from most classrooms. The classrooms are organized around a wide corridor that serves as both circulation and collaboration space. All restrooms are single occupancy, eliminating opportunities for bullying that often occur in multi-occupancy facilities, and providing gender-neutral accommodations for all students and teachers. Middle school is a challenging time in child development, so these design features make the school environment safer and friendlier for all students.

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

The one-story gymnasium building pivots around a shared courtyard where the servery is located. The gym accommodates a middle school basketball court and is used for a multitude of activities for the school and church. Two large, glass garage doors along the east façade open up to a shaded lunch area and play fields beyond, allowing activities to flow from inside to outside. The large shade canopy is cantilevered off the gym building to eliminate all columns that otherwise would be adjacent to the play field.

Interior materials include wood-like flooring, exposed wood trusses, and warm colors, all used to create a home-like feeling to increase student comfort. Exterior materials are shot-blast concrete block laid in a stack bond for the gymnasium and painted plaster and metal for the classroom building. Materials and colors were selected to provide a warm and uplifting aesthetic to the school.

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

The school was completed shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began. To help the school return, Berliner Architects conducted a series of studies on how to utilize outdoor spaces, multi-purpose areas, and excess event parking as classroom space to accommodate social distancing. Circulation, signage, controlled entry and exit points, and a modified pick-up/drop-off pattern were also considered.

Natural light fills all the classrooms and circulation spaces, minimizing the need for artificial lighting. High-efficiency HVAC units and LED lighting allow the building exceed Title 24 requirements. The classroom building is wood construction, which has far less embodied carbon than steel or concrete structures. The gymnasium utilizes masonry block walls and long-span steel roof trusses, creating open spaces at minimum cost and embodied carbon vs. all-steel construction. Artificial turf was used for play fields, minimizing the use of water and optimizing the use of the field. All other plant materials are low-water-use species, and trees are placed in key locations to provide shade. The large shade structure hung off the gymnasium provides more than 2,000 square feet of outdoor shaded space for lunch, outdoor learning, and multiple activities.

Image Courtesy © Tom Bonner

Image Courtesy © Berliner Architects

Image Courtesy © Berliner Architects

Tags: Los Angeles

Categories: Educational Center, Educational Institute, School

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