When Sunnyvale Middle School students start class on Monday, they will find brand new learning spaces waiting for them. On Aug. 6, just a few weeks before the start of the school year, the Sunnyvale School District cut the ribbon on the second-story classroom project.
Built with the students in mind, the project features 23 7th- and 8th-grade classrooms that were carefully designed so that students can hear the teacher from anywhere in the room. There are also five student breakout spaces, an art classroom, a dedicated teacher collaboration space and a landscaped courtyard.
“I am grateful to our community for supporting our bond measures and making it possible to upgrade our school facilities. These improvements will directly enhance the learning experience for our students,” said Sunnyvale School District Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite. “I also want to thank our outstanding project team for staying on track with such an ambitious timeline. This allows us to make a meaningful difference for as many students as possible, as quickly as possible.”
In addition to improving the learning environment of the students, the new campus is good for the Earth. Both buildings have solar panels that generate enough power to power approximately 20 neighborhood homes.
The campus also uses bioretention basins to capture and filter stormwater runoff to reduce pollutants before they enter the ecosystem. Natural light will help with lighting, as will high-performance LED lighting. The district also improved classroom ventilation and implemented all-electric heating and cooling systems to reduce carbon emissions.
What’s more, builders recycled 90% of the construction waste.
“We’re proud to have designed this project alongside our partners, bringing not only additional functionality to the campus, but also contributing to a positive learning atmosphere,” said QKA President Aaron Jobson. “Achieving the CHPS-Designed [Collaborative for High Performance Schools] certification ensures a healthy and sustainable environment for students and staff.”
The new campus was funded by bond measure GG, designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) in collaboration with LPA Inc. and constructed by Blach Construction. The work is part of the district’s Facilities Master Plan.
Sunnyvale Middle School was originally built in 1961.
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