Berliner Architects is part of a Core Planning Team of educators and consultants whose proposal to create a provocative learning environment was awarded a $10-million challenge grant from XQ: The Super School Project.
The grant award recognizes a developing, collaborative vision to redefine the curriculum, technology, and space of Southern California’s Vista High School to create a new center of rigorous student learning and empowerment, to be called Vista Challenge High School (VCHS).
The proposal, which builds upon innovative changes already underway at the North San Diego-area public high school, is one of 10 chosen throughout the United States by XQ: The Super School Project jury. More than 1,000 applicants vied for XQ’s inaugural prize, which was announced this week in Washington, DC. “You are showing the country what a 21st-century school looks like,” said President Barack Obama, as he congratulated the winning teams.
Quarterly Newsletter
Last week we sent out the Berliner Quarterly Newsletter! Follow the link below to see the full thing! and if you didn't receive the email in your inbox sign up below!
Alliance East Los Angeles's MPR Room Construction!
The multi purpose room at Alliance for College Ready School's new East Los Angeles Campus will accommodate both the DSA approved High School as well as the Middle School that share a space on this tight urban lot. The MPR room becomes a focus of the campus with its large over hanging roof and floor to ceiling glass windows, watching the construction on this has been so much fun, check out these progress photos we've taken along the way!
New Renderings Developed for NOVA Santa Ana
New renderings have been developed for our work at NOVA Academy Santa Ana, due to open this Fall. Located in a prominent location across from Santa Ana City Hall, the future home of NOVA Academy is a 4 story office building that Berliner has been charged with converting to a hi-tech charter school serving students from surrounding low-income neighborhoods.
Berliner completed a through code analysis process, determining the extent of the upgrades required to convert the occupancy classification from B (offices) to E (Educational). This work includes additional means of egress, fire-rating of corridors, and structural upgrades.
Originally built in 1981 with a "pre-Northridge" steel moment frame system, the building requires an extensive seimic strengthening as a result of the change of occupancy. To this end, Berliner and our team of consultants evaluated a diverse range of strategies, ultimately landing on an innovative fluid damper retrofit system. This approach will alleviate the need to enlarge the foundations, saving valuable time and resources.
Additionally, the renovation will fully update and modernize the facilities - including a fitness center and student resources hub. Brand new IT and A/V infrastructure, combined with a vibrant and exciting environment that Berliner can provide, will ensure that NOVA Academy's mission to prepare students for the rigors and challenges of college will be fulfilled.
Magnolia Santa Ana Facade!
The facade at Magnolia Santa Ana has been evolving over the last few weeks and is really taking shape!! check out the progress photos to see a peak into the construction!
Happy National Teachers Day!!
Berliner at the 2016 Early Childhood Education Design Conference
Today we're at the Early Childhood Education Design Conference in Denver learning all about innovative spaces in Early Childhood Learning Environments. What a great conference where ideas are shared on how to create the best learning environments!
XQ Super School - Semi Finalists!!
Berliner Architects working with the Challenge High School Team have been selected as a Semi-Finalist in the XQ Schools Competition!!!
Stratford Melrose - Ground Breaking!
Congratulations Stratford Schools on the ground breaking of their very first LA school!! Below you can see Richard with some of the most influential people at Stratford Schools. We're so excited to start construction and are event more excited for all their new students in the fall!
What's Inside Your Dream Classroom?
Berliner Architects will be presenting and exhibiting at the 2016 California Charter School Conference. At our Booth #1625 we will be asking
"What's Inside Your Dream Classroom?"
Please Comment Below with your thoughts!
LACAN Ground Breaking Ceremony!
We've recently been working with LA Community Action Network on a new headquarters in Skid Row where they can do the most help! Today was the groundbreaking ceremony in their new headquarters and the ceremony was as touching as the organization itself!
cangress.org/ - Check out this organization and all that they do to help the homeless in Los Angeles.
Office Site Visit - Alliance East Los Angeles High School
This week for our monthly office meeting we went on a site visit to check out the construction going on at Alliance For College-Ready Public Schools - East Los Angeles High School. Lautaro who has been leading as Project Manager for the Construction Administration for this job gave us a tour of this soon to be finished school!
Berliner Architects Holiday Card How to
This year's Berliner Architects Holiday Card is an origami card! (don't worry if you didn't get one you can still make this with any 5x7 paper, but please email us so you're on next years list! KaiT@berliner-architects.com )
Below is the instructional video to help you if you got a little stuck in folding!
Please leave comments with your success, we want to see everyones origami!
Fenton STEM Academy & Fenton Leadership Academy Post Occupancy and Photographs
One of the most exciting parts of any project is the day the team gets to go back, once every little detail is finished and take photographs of all their hard work. Along with this we often tie in what we call Post Occupancy Reviews. In these we speak to a wide variety of now users of the project and ask them a series of questions about the space we created.
With school now in session at Fenton STEM Academy & Fenton Leadership Academy we could not wait to head back and ask the teachers and students what they thought, along with talk to Principals Jennifer and Lee that we had been working so closely with all along. We learned a lot during these Post Occupancy reviews, but most importantly we learned that they loved their new school and that when parents saw the fun, modern, bright design that they couldn't wait to sign their students up! Check out the photos Tom Bonner of Tom Bonner Photography helped us get of our design!
Temple Beth Sholom - Channel Glass Installation
Last week the Channel Glass was put in place at the chapel at Temple Beth Sholom. Each plank is 10" wide and 20' tall. There are 144 planks that encompass a complete 360 degrees. It was so exciting seeing these put into place!
Temple Beth Sholom Return and Renewal
We were so excited last night to join Temple Beth Sholom for their Return and Renewal! It's been so great working with such a great congregation to help them return home.
Below is an article published in the OC Register on their return.
Temple Beth Sholom Congregation to return to Santa Ana home 18 months after fire.
Los Angeles Community Action Network
We're currently working with Los Angeles Community Action to help them create a usable space for their headquarters. Check out the Fundraising Video that Judy Korin from See Saw Studios made! It includes some of our latest renderings toward the end!
Harbor College Marquee Sign
we climbed to the top of the new Los Angeles Harbor College marquee sign we designed, yesterday. What a view!
Temple Beth Sholom - Renderings Come to Life
It was so exciting to visit the construction site at Temple Beth Sholom this week as the columns were put in place we began to notice how the building is really started to take shape! We took a ton of photos in excitement, but what we loved most was comparing a photo we took from across the street to one of the initial renderings we did of the temple.
Join Berliner at the California Charter Schools Conference | March 17th - 18th in Sacramento →
Please join Berliner Architects, along with Amber Raskin & Dawn Evenson from iLEAD Schools, Benson Sainsbury from InSite Educational Facility Services, and Mark Skousen from Highmark School Development as we present Discovering your Dream School: A Design-Build, Leaseback Case Study at the 2015 California Charter Schools Conference in Sacramento, CA on Tuesday, March 17th at 11am. The session will be held in the Sacramento Convention Center, Room 309.