Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School

dr. maya angelou

Community High School LO S ANGELE S UN I F I ED S C H OOL D I S T R I C T

[ los angeles, ca ]

PROJECT

Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) LOCATION

Los Angeles, CA

The newly named Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School relieves severe overcrowding in a previously underserved urban neighborhood. The campus will ultimately consist of four learning academies—or “learning communities”—serving 2,025 students with classrooms, science labs, and dedicated administrative space. The three inaugural academies include: The Fine & Performing Arts Academy, Global Issues Academy, and The Synergy Quantum Academy.

Shared facilities include: performing arts classrooms, a library, multi-purpose room, two gymnasiums, a variety of playfields and courts, foodservice and lunch shelter, administrative support services, playfields, and subterranean parking under basketball courts.

Special Challenges and Goals The challenge was to create a cohesive community while fitting all of the program elements into a long, narrow and L-shaped site. Due to its prescribed dimensions, the athletic field size drove the initial site organization. It was important to maintain as much usable open space as possible to create a campus atmosphere on the constrained urban site.

Given the magnitude of the intervention it was important to be mindful of the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood throughout the process.

The Solution In response to the desire to make the school a place of safety and belonging, the site is organized based on a small village or town. Approached from the West along E. 53rd Street, the gymnasium and administration/library building form a gateway leading to the main plaza of the ‘village’. The main gymnasium, performing arts building, administration/ library building and student store all open to the central plaza, forming a communal heart for the campus. A “main street” connects the main plaza with the dining facilities, practice gym and lockers to the athletic field located at the easternmost side of site. At the westernmost portion of the site—connecting to the main plaza by a winding covered walkway—are the Small Learning Communities. These are treated like the ‘residential neighborhoods’ of the village. They are designed as three-story structures, each adjacent to a dedicated open space. The buildings feature a combination of double- and singleloaded corridors and are organized so southernmost classrooms located on the third floor hover over an open space, creating gateways from one building to other. A sinuous walkway connects the four buildings and establishes an edge for the ‘landscaped park’ along the southern end of the site. The massing of the SLCs responds to the residential scale of the surrounding neighborhood. A variety of open spaces with landscaping and seating provide students with safe outdoor spaces to study and socialize.

View of library and administration at main plaza

Aerial view looking north

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SAN PEDRO STREET

52ND STREET

53RD STREET

54TH STREET

54TH STREET

56TH STREET

north

Vicinity Map

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AVALON BLVD.

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TOWNES AVENUE STREET

1. Small Learning Communities 2. Multi-Purpose Dance / Music 3. Main Street 4. Main Plaza 5. Administration + Library 6. Main Entry 7. Gym + Locker Rooms 8. Outdoor Dining 9. Cafeteria + Facilities Support

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north

Site Plan

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View from football field

Small Learning Communities

View from plaza to Small Learning Communities

Classroom

Large Gymnasium

Small Learning Community

Rooftop Basketball Courts

View of courtyard and covered walkway

Courtyard

Multi-Purpose Space

View of gymnasium from main plaza

Main Entry from 53rd Street

Main Plaza

View of Small Learning Communities from 53rd Street

View from corner of 53rd and San Pedro Streets

dr. maya angelou Community High School Client Size Completion Location Key Points

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) 211,000 GSF for six buildings + 115,000 gsf parking / play structures 2011 Los Angeles, CA • The project balances the need for a safe and secure learning environment in a heavily gang-influenced area while embracing the neighborhood with a symbol of hope and aspiration.

• The school serves 2,025 students with 75 graded classrooms.

The academic program is supported by performance spaces, a library, dining facilities, two gymnasiums and a variety of play fields and courts.

• The planning of the site was approached as a village to inspire a sense of community.

• The fabric and scale of the existing neighborhood was considered in the siting and massing of the project as well as in its color and detail, enriching the residential and industrial surroundings.

Awards

AIA Long Beach / South Bay Merit Award, Insitutional / Educational Category 2011