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PROSPECT SIERRA SCHOOL’S AVIS CAMPUS
EL CERRITO, CALIFORNIA
Photography:
David Wakely Photography
Jury Comments: The jury was struck by the creative approach to a seemingly difficult design problem. Although the expansion forced the building façade to the very edge of the street, the artistic use of masonry and wood appears to soften what could have been a very harsh edge, while utilizing every square foot of available space.
Where a solid wall once formed a barrier to the street,
the new entrance to Prospect Sierra School’s Avis
Campus in El Cerrito, California, greets students and
faculty with an engaging concrete masonry curvilinear
elevation that serves as a new neighborhood
landmark.
The architects chose for the signature entryway Trend Stone ground faced, large-scale masonry units (12” V x 16” H and 4” V x 16” H), because of its appearance as cut stone when laid in alternating courses of 4” and 12”. The offset, running-bond pattern joint was detailed with “raked” vertical joints and weathered horizontal joints to ensure the best water shedding, while still providing the “cut-stone” look. The curvature of the elevation posed special challenges as the wall moves along the street over large entry spans and window and deck cutouts.
Coordinating the colors of the masonry units with the existing school colors (orange-red) led the design and building team to seek out masonry units from aggregates more typically found in the Southwest. The manufacturer made special deliveries of eight different sample types in sufficient quantities from their yard in Arizona to allow the team to set up several large scale test assemblies, oriented as the façade would face the late afternoon sun.
The appearance of the details at the clear, anodized, aluminum-sheetmetal coping and window trim were carefully studied and considered by the team, which included the masonry subcontractor. As a finishing touch, the school’s art teacher provided the inspiration for the not-so-random layout of specialty cut concrete masonry units to receive over time a 4” x 4” fired clay tile from each graduating fifth grader as a symbol of their unique educational experience at Prospect Sierra School.
ARCHITECT:
Ratcliff
5856
Doyle Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
William
J. Blessing
Associate Principal, Designer
Stephen
Swearengen
Project Architect
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER:
Tipping Mar + Associates
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR:
Oliver and Company
MASONRY
CONTRACTOR:
Suer Masonry
BLOCK
PRODUCER:
Trenwyth Industries
OWNER:
Prospect Sierra School
