Sonoma Academy's New "Grange and Studios" Project Expands Facilities and Programs
Maker studios and student support services below; kitchens, dining, and plaza above
SANTA ROSA, Calif., July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonoma Academy, the only independent college preparatory high school in Sonoma County, will soon break ground on the first phase of a new construction project that promises to dramatically transform the 34-acre campus and significantly expand its facilities.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160720/391645
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160720/391646
The $26M, 22,000 square-foot project, known as the Grange and Studios, will add space for dining, commercial and teaching kitchens, and maker's studio classrooms among other facilities, with a broad open dining terrace that will serve as the heart of the campus. The building is designed to exceed LEED Platinum certification, and will be net-zero energy efficient, with a living roof, gray water recycling, and other key sustainability features. Additionally, the school's garden spaces will be expanded to help supply dining needs in the new Grange.
Funding for the project has been provided entirely through private donations.
"The Grange program addresses the community's need to break bread together and to teach students about food systems and their relationship to our economy and environment," said Head of School Janet Durgin. "The Studios program allows students to address real-world, hands-on design challenges in a suite of studios where they can put engineering and fabrication ideas into practice."
Not only will the studios provide space for traditional shop and visual arts subjects, they will also create environments for students to explore film and video production and broadcast, engineering and robotics, and computer graphics and animation. New space for student services as well as a separate building for maintenance facilities are also included in the project.
The two-level design includes indoor and outdoor dining and gathering spaces with two kitchens, one commercial and one for teaching; an open plaza with new green space, a flower and herb garden, and fruit trees on the upper level; and on the lower level, studio and shop space, technology rooms, offices and meeting space.
The Grange and Studios building and gardens comprise the first phase of a two-phase plan. Phase two entails construction of a new 450-seat performing arts theater and conservatory. Phase two requires additional fundraising.
Architects for the project are WRNS Studio of San Francisco; contractors are XL Construction of San Francisco, Milpitas, and Sacramento. View a video of the project, including architectural renderings
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SOURCE Sonoma Academy
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