Design/Completion 2003/2007
Beverly Hills, California
25,000 s.f.
Building Structure: Steel Frame with Concrete Reinforced Brick Masonry Walls, and new wood framing
Building Materials: Restored Brick Exterior Walls, Salvaged Clay Roof Tile, Replicated Wood Windows with High Efficiency Glazing
Design Awards: 2009 California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) Design Award
Heavily damaged by the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, Beverly Vista School, Building B stood as the last remaining structure from the original 1920’s brick collegiate gothic campus. Building B housed the campus auditorium and the iconic bell tower that had been a landmark in the community. Having previously withstood the Long Beach earthquake of the 1930’s, it was empty and boarded up for over a decade, slowly succumbing to the ravages of bird and insect damage. The District and community were steadfast in their desire to preserve this cultural asset as a symbol of permanence in a rapidly changing environment, and to give it new life as a vital asset for the students.
After significant review and planning, the District gave direction that the historic auditorium and adjacent tower should be preserved and renovated. This would be coupled with the construction of a new facility to compliment the historic theme of the structure while providing the needed programmatic spaces in a contemporary facility. The program identified 11 new classrooms including a Band room, Choral Music room, two Language Labs, and a Reading room area. The facades facing Charleville Boulevard to the North and Rexford Drive to the East are the most visible to the surrounding community and have been developed in a manner sensitive to that neighborhood.
The renovation of the historic structures was resource intensive. The roof was removed and the interior gutted to allow for the installation of new footings under the massive unreinforced brick walls. The walls were secured with a new gunite shell and a new steel roof utilized to tie the entire structure together. Historic features were both preserved in place and removed and reinstalled in the renovated facility. Brick and roof tiles salvaged from the original facility were woven into the new buildings to tie them together into a cohesive fabric. Two massive trees were protected in place and form the heart of the newly landscape courtyard that links the south and north elements of the campus.
The greatest reward followed the completion of the project as people from the community gathered in the restored auditorium and reflected on the days they had spent as students over the past 80 years within the walls of the Beverly Vista School. One dignitary stood at the podium on the stage, looked out at the standing room only crowd and said, “The last time I stood on this stage and looked out I was speaking to my fellow 8th grade classmates and running for Class President. I have those same butterflies today!”
