San Mateo High School, Brick Building

Category: Learn
San Mateo, CA

This renovation of the lower shops portion of the 1920s historic “music building” has transformed the 19,700 square foot campus. New general education classrooms and essential art studios were created to accommodate the students.  Natural light continues to spill through the plentiful existing clerestory windows, as a slender steel tie rod diaphragm system was chosen in lieu of traditional means which may have blocked light and darkened the space.  Seismic resilience of the two-story “music” portion of the building was improved by the voluntary addition of a shotcrete shear wall to alleviate a sensitive soft-story configuration.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but now I wish I weren’t graduating so I could go to school in this beautiful building” – Student Trustee

Photo Credit: Technical Imagery; Architecture by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

Size 19,700 sf
Completed 2015
Construction Cost $5.1M
Architect Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
Contractor Alten Construction
Owner San Mateo Union High School District
Merit Award

AIA Redwood Empire, 2016


 
Award of Excellence

Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) + American Institute of Architects/California Council (AIACC), 2016