Project Data:

Firm Name:              HMC Architects

Completion Date:     8/1/2016

Square Footage:      252616

Building Use:           High school

Location:                 Irvine, California

Project Description:

Leading-Edge Learning for a Fast-Growing City, Portola High School is Secondary Education with a University Feel

Irvine Unified School District needed a dynamic new learning environment for students in the accelerating Great Park neighborhoods of Irvine, Calif. Before that could happen, developers had to reestablish the land where water was put into large underground pipes. With water course restored, inspiration was drawn from this and the resulting design is a flowing and organic site plan. The site sits on a portion of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station adjacent to the Orange County Great Park. The master plan for the region includes home sites surrounding the park and the high school. These housing developments will bring in additional students, and enrollment projections indicate the district’s existing high schools will hit their maximum capacity, making the new school a selling point for the new homes and a necessity to the local community.

The school’s buildings are angled and clustered to follow the curves and slopes of the natural environment. One of the district’s goals was to create an environment where learning happens everywhere, and this organic assemblage of buildings successfully defines areas for informal gathering, dining and studying throughout the campus. To encourage collaboration moments, the design team created student common rooms that link classrooms and act as flexible spaces to facilitate different learning activities, informal learning, one-on-one instruction, multi-class presentations and small-group instruction. The design team also created numerous cross-disciplinary staff development opportunities by locating teacher prep/collaboration rooms and dedicated teacher work stations strategically between classroom wings and on each classroom level.

A student center, similar to a student union on a college campus, also strengthens the collaboration and technology goals of the district and is located in the heart of the campus. The goal is to create occasions for students and teachers to interact outside the traditional classroom. The student common rooms, teacher collaboration spaces and a student center all encourage this concept. An operable glass wall separates the learning commons from the student union and can be opened to create space for special events.

The building’s tri-colored concrete block walls appear to emerge from the earth like layers of sedimentary rock found in the area, separated by windows that provide daylighting for the interior spaces as well as views out. A paving and landscaped area filled with native vegetation, and framed by the extended covered walkway directly in front of the earthen wall slabs, creates a natural layered effect. In contrast, the flying rooflines slope up towards the north and east to capitalize on views to the mountains, breaking down the scale of the campus to be compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhoods. The building boasts a passive green roof that utilizes passive energy savings systems—while also providing a sustainable living lab from which students can learn.

Photovoltaic solar panels in the parking lot provide a significant portion of the electricity used by the school. The campus includes a performing arts building with a 700-seat theater (that features school and community performances), aquatic center, three-court gymnasium, and stadium.

With adaptive open spaces, collaboration zones, and science and innovation labs, Portola High School is a 21st century school with learning at every turn.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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