playground project
a school rebuilding project after the destruction of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, this project aimed to explore new forms and geometries for an experimental kindergarten, elementary, and middle combined school.
spring 2025
in plan the levels rotate to create a small cantilevered spaces for outdoor space and egress. this rotation language and shape was incorporated into the landscape as well, mirrored in shaded space, planters, and stairs, to form the outdoor common space.
section bb
with four identical buildings on the site, configuring the structural basis and cohesion was vital to having a functional school. thus, structural connections and ambitious tectonic possibilities through CLT structure became the main exploration of the project. each structure is made up of a glass-cladded first level, with which a rotated second level sits, with an aluminum mesh-like facade.
detail a
detail b
detail c
detail d
detail e
HVAC circulation systems went hand-in-hand with structural conception of the school. in having rotating volumes within plan, these spaces became areas for storage and circulation, but most vitally, ventilation.
rotation and stacking of volumes allow the school to respond to the natural incline of the site and adapt to the terrain.
