On October 4, HMC was presented with an Award of Excellence from the AIA Inland California (AIAIC) chapter for the design of Elementary School (ES) #9 for Los Angeles Unified School District. The AIAIC awards program recognizes achievements for architectural works that elevate the quality of the architectural practice and design, and inform the public of the breath and value of the architectural practice.

Designed to serve a growing community, ES #9 began with a simple goal: create an open, welcoming campus for students while maximizing convenience to parents and administration. The campus includes 26 classrooms in a new, three-story building, along with a library and administration offices. To promote 21st century teaching and learning, classrooms are designed to capitalize on student collaboration and flexible instruction. The classroom building features ample secondary spaces on the upper floors that include teacher workrooms, speech therapy rooms, and resource specialist classrooms. West of the classroom building is the multi-purpose building that includes an 8,500-SF multi-purpose space, kitchen, staff lunchroom, and a covered outdoor lunch area.

Design goals were merged with the community aesthetic from the surrounding region which results in a school that responds to neighborhood initiatives, such as open space, student safety, and sustainability, while complementing a comprehensive district program. Building footprints were designed to be as efficient as possible in order to gain desired playground areas and minimize underutilized space, and the intersecting space between the buildings serves as the main entry to the campus. This single point of access to the school helps provide increased security and a streamlined pick-up/drop-off zone.