The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District celebrated the completion of Anna Kyle Elementary School’s new administration and kindergarten building in Fairfield, California. Anna Kyle Elementary serves 750 students in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. The 10,775 SF project upgrades this legacy campus with a new administration and kindergarten building and site work that includes a redesigned parking lot, student drop-off, and landscaping.

HMC Architects principal architect Mike Rath summed up the project’s success: “I want to recognize the outstanding work our team delivered on this project — Raija Clar, Thomas Battis, Darrel Quintos, Pablo Guzman, and Kris Livingston. The design is strong, the project stayed within budget, and it was completed four months ahead of schedule. This kind of outcome is a testament to the team’s hard work, proactive coordination, and commitment to excellence from start to finish. I am incredibly proud.”

The event was attended by district officials, school staff, and members of the SB James Construction team. Anna Kyle, the school’s namesake, taught music in Solano County for 39 years before retiring in 1960. The interior color palettes and patterns were developed with music in mind, as a nod to Anna Kyle’s legacy. In a moving tribute, three of her great-nephews presented the school with her teaching bell.

The new kindergarten classrooms center around a collaboration space, dubbed the “Learning Street,” that accommodates many different learning styles within a single space and encourages interaction between different kindergarten classes. The new campus entry creates a welcoming environment with a strong visual hierarchy featuring a large sloping canopy. The soft landscaping and tree-lined promenade between the new and existing buildings welcome students onto campus and encourage gathering before and after school in a safe and comfortable setting.

The redesigned parking lot features a long one-way drop-off with two lanes, increasing the available queuing space, relieving traffic congestion, and providing safe access to the campus.