Concordia, in partnership with Harley Ellis Devereaux Architects in Los Angeles, conducted an educational facilities master plan for the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District in Santa Monica, California. The project began with a citywide visioning conference where parents, students, educators and administrators were presented a wide range of best practices in educational facilities planning and design.
The key component of the planning process was an extensive community engagement program with neighborhood meetings throughout the district. Some of the major concepts included smaller schools and schools as centers of community, including the development of individual site plans for every school site. At the community meetings, local residents used drawings and massing models to develop these site plans as part of the active engagement process. In the master plan, Concordia worked to enhance connections between the school district and the City of Santa Monica around opportunities for joint use and co-location of school programs and facilities.
