Last week, HMC’s Pre-K–12 practice received two design awards at the C.A.S.H./AIACC Leroy F. Greene Design and Planning Awards Ceremony in Sacramento. The firm was honored with Awards of Excellence for Hillcrest High School and the Pioneer School.
Hillcrest High School, Alvord Unified School District
Hillcrest High School is a high-tech academic hub and community resource in Riverside. A separate ninth grade academy nurtures new high school students, while teacher collaboration rooms allow for the development of a rigorous mathematics curriculum and hands-on science program. The school also features a range of joint-use facilities, making it a vital community asset.
During the awards ceremony we took detailed notes on the jury’s comments. Below are some of the key points that made Hillcrest High School a standout project:
// Project resulted from a comprehensive master plan supporting district’s concept of choice
// Created a high school with an emphasis on science and math
// Provision of teacher collaboration spaces allowed a higher classroom utilization rate
// Angled building placement resulted in appropriate solar orientation and also reduced scale of building frontage, increasing overall “curb appeal”
// Created a real university feel through building placement/massing scale and configuration of outdoor spaces
Pictured L to R: John Nichols (HMC), Herb Calderon (Alvord USD Assistant Superintendent), Angel Hosband (HMC)
Pioneer School, Delano Union School District
Built on a hardship budget, the academic villages at Pioneer School lead students through their educational progression from Pre-K through eighth grade. Grade levels are strategically distributed across the campus and given their own identity, and a strong emphasis was placed on creating outdoor learning environments that allow learning to happen everywhere. Integrating a joint-use gymnasium and library into the campus for use by the adjacent high school and surrounding community enhances the opportunities for area residents and students to learn, while conserving community resources.
Jury comments on Pioneer School:
// Integrated planning was critical to comply with hardship budget and fit in/align with already-existing adjacent schools
// Site planning created a nice progression through educational journey, from Kindergarten onward
// Break down of spaces allows for flexibility
// This is modern architecture that will stand the test of time
// Playful design is fun without being too fussy
// Nice site plan—avoids rigidity and symmetry
// All this on a hardship budget: nicely done!
Pictured L to R: John Nichols (HMC), Jenny Hanna (Kern County Facilities Office of Ed), Andy Thompson (HMC), Dr. Robert Aguilar (Delano USD Superintendant), Frank Herrerra (Delano Board Member), and Jack Tillman (Delano Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation Director)
