The site that was intended for the construction of a new school building is by no means ideal. Not only is it located in close proximity to the expressway, but one of the main air corridors of Los Angeles International Airport also passes right above it. In other words, the architects had to design not just an educational complex, but a building that would be reliably protected from the constant noise of the highway and aircraft taking off. The authors of the project had to take into account the peculiarities of the local hot climate.
The noise problem was solved with the help of the layout: most of the classrooms are located not along the outer, but along the inner perimeter of the building and face the courtyard. And Brooks + Scarpa decided to use the excess of sunlight for good: the southern facade of the school is completely lined with solar panels. In total, this required 650 photovoltaic panels, which provide up to 75% of all the energy the school needs. And if the southern facade, thanks to this technique, turned out to be practically deaf, then the architects, on the contrary, tried to make the rest of the facades of the school light and permeable. In fact, wide horizontal blinds become the only barrier between the classrooms and the outside world.
In an effort to get as far as possible from the traditional "box" with which in the minds of a modern person school is most often associated, the authors preferred to design many terraces and loggias, as well as the already mentioned shaded courtyard, which provide all audiences with fresh air and daylight. By the way, the school building has already been awarded a LEED certificate.
A. M.
