Almond Elementary School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

The Almond Elementary School project is a modernization of a classic finger plan school in Los Altos, California. The only new structures are two small additions to the library and an addition to the school office and multipurpose. The scheme claims outdoor classroom “patio” space as an adjunct to the adjacent classrooms, and creates a new entry terrace at the office. New pop-up roof monitors enhance natural light in the classrooms, create a stack effect for ventilation, and improve the scale of the wings of classrooms.

Process

Almond profits from the lessons learned in a first group of modernizations. A very active site committee including district representative, construction manager/general contractor, school principal, teachers, parents, and architects incorporated improvements to teaching walls and other details that became obvious after the first schools were occupied. Storage for teaching media includes shelving to accommodate project kits, poster size paper, and three dimensional student projects. A window was added to the walkway side of every classroom to let classrooms display student work, and a chalkboard hangs beside every door to enhance communication.

The parent/teacher body also desired an ongoing way they could affect the school environment. The two-color paint scheme on the classroom wings is planned around a ceramic tile project each group of graduating students will complete.

Design

The idea that the school facility should support a wide variety of groupings of children and families informs the whole campus. Originally there were only two kinds of classrooms, kindergarten and 1-6. New small group teaching spaces include a flexibly connected set of spaces for the resource specialist. Similarly, outdoor space has been opened up to include outdoor teaching, community gathering, and play areas.
The patios for each classroom are surrounded by plantings, including a planter that is left open for class projects. The front terrace of the school continues the theme of school involvement in the environment with accommodation for an ongoing student art project, and family donated bricks.

Community Environment

The new front entry area welcomes the community into Almond School. By organizing the front terrace around the life skills the school promotes, it becomes a place that can identify the character of the school and reinforce the importance of its core values for the children. The improved multipurpose and administration area, as well as the access to kindergarten, ensure that the area is lively, both during school hours and afterwards. Direct communication back to the joint-use fields and playground remains clear.

Physical Environment

Changing daylight enters each teaching area. The liveliness and greater awareness of the outside world that this brings is evident in the classrooms and library, where new project and picture book rooms embrace a small courtyard. Plant choices emphasize the native plants of California in a variety of ecosystems and areas, supporting curriculum areas defining California environments.

Sustainability is created through daylight compensation sensors on the lighting systems so that the artificial illumination is only on to the extent necessary. An automatic system opens clerestory windows to draw air through louvers low on the wall to provide natural ventilation without waiting for user discomfort. A highly efficient heat pump system delivers heating and cooling and is linked to the natural ventilation operation.

Educator Narrative

The design and reconstruction of Almond Elementary School has incorporated several key elements that will ultimately have a positive impact on student learning. Chief among these is the use of sunlight as the primary lighting source in the classrooms and library. Additionally, each classroom has an outdoor learning area that allows for a separate learning space while still under close supervision of the classroom teacher. Finally, the design of the school includes an open and welcoming entrance to the school allowing space for parents to gather and socialize while dropping off and picking up their children. Though a seemingly minor detail, this particular aspect allows the opportunity for our parent community to be strengthened on a daily basis.