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ST. FRANCIS CENTRAL COAST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA
Photography: Tim Griffith
Photographer
CMACN 2005 Awards Edition, “CMU Profiles in Architecture”
Jury
Comments: The jury found that this project
exercises uncommon restraint in both form and in siting. It
is rare when a building steps aside to favor the space.
There is no pretense at work here - simply a modest
building, which alludes to the agrarian traditions of the
area aligned with Native American sensibilities. Note that
the classrooms are light-filled and airy without glare. The
designer’s selection of standard, split face and ground
face block is a natural choice for this economical, yet
highly refined solution.
Located within a protected agricultural area and Native
American burial ground, St. Francis Central Coast Catholic
High School was planned and designed to reflect the
school’s traditions, the educational mission, and an
attitude of respect for the unique qualities of the scenic
site and its historic and cultural context. Special
foundations were engineered in order to preserve the
archeologically-sensitive land. The master plan for the
15-acre campus includes classrooms, a library, chapel,
gymnasium, playing fields and administrative
facilities.
As part of our design strategy, we chose concrete masonry as the primary building material for both classroom buildings and the gymnasium. Several factors – including sustainability – influenced our decision. In terms of design, the earth texture and substantial look and feel of the concrete block echoes the qualities of the surrounding landscape and is aligned with the school’s desire to develop a campus in harmony with its environment. Concrete masonry units also offer a variety of textures that would enhance the aesthetics of the building. We used three types of masonry units with different surfaces to create visual interest: precision (smooth surface), split (rough surface), and ground face (precision blocks ground to look like stone or terrazzo).
From a sustainable perspective, the concrete masonry acts as a good thermal mass along the south side of the buildings, thus reducing the cooling load, as well as both energy-used and long term operating costs. In sum, the material was the best choice in terms of aesthetics, appropriateness of design, and environmental responsibility.
ARCHITECT:
Chong Partners Architecture
405
Howard Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Gordon
Chong, FAIA
Partner
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER:
Santos & Urrutia
GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
Devcon Construction, Inc.
MASONRY CONTRACTOR:
John Jackson Masonry
Patania Masonry
BLOCK PRODUCERS:
Basalite Concrete Products, LLC
Calstone Company, Inc.
OWNER:
St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School
