Academy of Our Lady of Peace, San Diego, CA

Academy of Our Lady of Peace undertook an internal assessment of their existing and planned facilities to assess their ability to support contemporary teaching methodologies, pedagogies, models and practices.  There was to be an emphasis on the provision of high quality facilities to support STEM, Visual and Performing Arts programs, engage activities and circulation in the Core of the Campus and co-locating related curriculum.  This led to a proposed site plan (prepared by others) to re-organize the locations and adjacencies of the functional spaces on their campus that includes multiple existing historic structures and planned new facilities.  domusstudio architecture assisted the school in evaluating and refining this proposed plan for their campus. Domus then updated the existing Entitlement Permits from the City of San Diego and obtained the necessary discretionary approvals to allow these changes and improvements to be implemented.  The first phase of its implementation is the significant renovation of over 42,000 square feet of classroom and lab spaces.  The concept for this project was to reorganize (3) disconnected buildings and provide a contemporary learning facility that supports technology, co-locates like programs, connects to the campus and has an intuitive network of circulation spaces.  Additionally, there are numerous break-out spaces along the hallways that can accommodate from 2 to 20 students in small groups for activities or just hanging out.  There are (6) fully outfitted STEM Labs that can support biology, chemistry as well as physics, robotics and industrial sciences.  The hallways and classrooms ‘pinwheel’ around a large non-programmed Commons Space that is full of flexible, soft seating for informal gatherings and class meetings.  Off of this space is a window into the PTV (Pilot Television) studio wherein a daily broadcast is created and distributed throughout the campus for events, news and announcements.