Samo’s new buildings revolutionize learning
Catherine Baxter / Contributor
The dance studio in the Gold gym will look down upon three volleyball and basketball courts through a sound-proofed window.
SMMUSD has persevered in their attempt to revolutionize the learning process with the construction of Samo’s new buildings, the Exploration Building and Gold Gym.
Now, it’s official: the new buildings are on schedule to open and become fully operational in Aug. for the upcoming fall semester. Over the course of the last few years, the extensive construction process piqued the interest of countless Samo students, and the majority of their questions were left unanswered. However, in the midst of a design process entirely reliant on discussion and evolution, it was only recently that an end was in sight.
The three-story Exploration Building will be situated on the southern end of campus, geographically replacing the late History Building. The eastern wing of the building will be home to multimedia and visual arts, leaving the bungalows and areas of the Business Building vacant. Film and Photography will reside on the ground floor, fully equipped with a dark room, extensive equipment storage and professional-grade sound booths. 3D art and 2D art will be respectively located on the second and third floors, both featuring designated outdoor creative spaces and adhering to rotating classroom models.
The western half of the building will host the Capstone program, now new and improved. Each floor of the building will be dedicated to one of three career academies, a project-based and highly innovative approach to learning that fills two periods of students’ schedules. The Engineering academy—presently implemented on campus as Project Lead The Way—will move to the first floor of the Exploration Building and feature an impressive workshop that extends outdoors. The second floor and third floors will be occupied by two brand new academies: Health and Wellness will incorporate state-of-the-art technology into their learning process, and Law and Public Policy will be fully equipped with a law library and courtroom.
The building is technically four stories due to the three fully operational outdoor classrooms located on the roof, as well as the Brainstorm and Design Lab. This is one of many futuristic elements: the Health and Wellness Academy will utilize interactive holographic tables to visualize models in 3D space, and there is a designated multi-level “pitch space” for students to exhibit their educational breakthroughs to their peers, amphitheater-style.
Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton is optimistic that these new spaces will revolutionize the learning process for years to come.
“The new and improved facilities will give our students state-of-the-art spaces that allow them to fully grow and embrace their health, body and mind,” Upton said. “The design continues our transition from prior buildings featuring boxed-in learning spaces that restrict student creativity to flexible collaborative spaces that adapt to changing teaching and learning methods.”
The buildings are a result of Phase 3 of the district’s 40-year Samohi Campus Plan (SCP), phases 1 and 2 being the construction of the Discovery Building. Primary goals of the project are to clarify pathways and campus circulation, provide adaptability for future needs, create dynamic environments for learning and replace inefficient facilities. The SCP is funded by Measure SMS, a community-approved bond allocating $485 million towards Santa Monica educational facilities. The design was a collaboration between design architects Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners and executive architects HED Architects.
As is typical of all modern Santa Monica construction projects, the Exploration Building has been constructed to be extremely sustainable, boasting a living wall and 14,000 square feet of solar panels that supply the entirety of the building’s power. The building’s characteristic synthesis of interior and exterior space is not only advantageous on account of Santa Monica’s coastal climate, but proven to be healthier for students as well.
Coordination will be a daunting task for both students and staff in this new environment. No longer will teachers be assigned designated classrooms year round, or students limited to a singular workspace. The designers’ emphasis on the fluidity and diversity of spaces was intended to maximize the efficiency of learning, which will be put to the test upon the building’s opening. Scattered between classes are areas denominated “brainstorming spaces,” featuring large whiteboards and plenty of natural light. With such a diverse array of environments, teachers will periodically need to communicate with one another to determine which space is best suited to their class for that day’s curriculum.
Principal Marae Cruce, who has held a seat on the Samohi Campus Planning Committee for many years, has unwavering optimism for the building’s unique characteristics.
“Students can expect that these learning spaces will be bright with natural light and designed to promote collaboration, exploration of content, and flexibility in setting,” Cruce said. “There will be small group breakout rooms, similar to Discovery, along with large spaces to explore your passions.”
Phase 3B of the SCP, the Gold Gym will act as a replacement for the South Gym (which will be demolished in the near future). The new gymnasium—located directly southwest of the Exploration Building—cleverly molds to the anatomy of the hill that it lies on, taking on a step-like structure. The bottommost level consists of a two-court volleyball and basketball practice gym with 750-seat pull-out bleachers, as well as an elevated auxiliary court. Looking down on the gymnasium through sound-proofed glass is the dance and cheer studio, fully furnished with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and sophisticated safety equipment. Yoga and weight lifting, along with the locker rooms, will be located on the basement levels.
In Phase 4 of the SCP, completion currently being anticipated for 2027, we can expect renovations of our current Business and English Buildings. Prospective amendments to the campus include the migration of the library to the English Building’s second floor, an improved space for student services such as journalism and yearbook in the Business Building and the construction of the new Black Box Theater. As of now, the projected finish line for the renovations is Fall 2047.
Catherine Baxter / Contributor
Phase 4 of the Samohi Campus Plan, the Exploration Building's construction is 79% completed. Aspects of the building strongly resemble Discovery.