Orchid 
Named after an indigenous Kumeyaay village, Nipaquay Elementary school is a next generation elementary school campus for the Civita neighborhood in Mission Valley. We collaborated with the community and staff to create a centralized urban campus, based on the goals of flexibility, sustainability, and connectivity.
Nipaquay Elementary offers students an academic focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), supported by a sustainable design that incorporates solar power and energy efficiency.
To promote collaboration between students and teachers, classrooms connect directly to their own exterior workspace. This indoor / outdoor design approach provides a specific design typology consistent with San Diego’s environment.
The campus serves as a hub for the community’s youth, with an emphasis on blending seamlessly into the neighborhood by providing pedestrian access directly to the site. Our team also integrated the building design and systems to be ‘learning tools’ as part of the campus pedagogy, i.e. the solar panel’s performance can be monitored by the students, exposed structure ‘explains’ the construction, and campus graphics highlight the STEAM curriculum. Even roof top systems present a clear and organized view from the adjacent residential.
Nipaquay Elementary School will be an innovative school design for years to come.