PROJECT

Overview

Agua Caliente ES was built in the Dream Homes neighborhood in Cathedral City in 1961 to support the emerging local community. A feasibility study was conducted in 2013/2014 to review the potentials for improving and expanding the campus. The study concluded, through cost and code compliance considerations, that replacing the campus to be the most cost effective and efficient way to maintain the legacy of the school and support the re-building of the neighborhood.

The design draws heavily from the Desert Modernism that typifies the Palm Springs area. By continuing the world re-known Architectural traditions of the desert, the project identifies the Dream Homes area as an important part of the fabric of the greater Palm Springs community. The schools’ curriculum is unique. A science focused curriculum required the inclusion of two larger, science focused classrooms to support the program. The campus includes: 7 Pre & K classrooms, 25 general classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a music room, a planting garden and a two-story Library anchoring the campus.

The project is designed to exceed Ca T-24 by 25% and provides a generous amount of roof area and parking lot for future on-site energy generation in conjunction with PSUSD’s Power Plan.

Details

District: Palm Springs Unified School District

Location: Cathedral City, CA

Size: 68,000 sf, 12 Acre Site

Cost: $39 M

Completed: 2019

Award: Award of Honor, CASH

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Multi-Purpose and Food Service
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Bus Drop Off
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Playground
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Play Fields
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Kindergarden Playground
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Parent Drop Off
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Quad
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Science Labs / Maker Spaces
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Kindergarten
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Classrooms
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Campus Garden
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Storm Retention
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RECONSTRUCTION ON AN EXISTING CAMPUS

Reconstruction on an existing campus requires careful planning for phasing to insure student safety and minimal cost. Only 4 portables were required for interim housing. BakerNowicki design studio was careful to coordinate with the builders to insure construction fencing accommodated adequate student play and student safety. Most importantly, the final campus solution is a solution that is a best possible outcome and solves all of the district’s primary objectives for the project.

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING

The campus was laid out to accommodate careful academic and social zoning around a central core of Library and Administration. The building perimeter insures a secure perimeter.

COURTYARD ZONING

CELEBTRATING THE FUTURE

The local homes, called the Cathedral City Dream Homes at the times, were built circa 1960. Originally offered as affordable, legacy homes, they provided a dream of permanence to residents. In recent decades, the neighborhood has begun what many hope is a transition from a struggling and low socio-economic neighborhood into an emerging neighborhood. Recognizing this, the Palm Springs Unified School District envisioned a school that embodies the best that the Palm Springs Region has to offer for the community. The district commissioned a campus rooted in “Palm Springs Modernism” that speaks to the origins of the neighborhood, inspiring the original vision of permanence and legacy in the heart of the community. The completed campus sparked great excitement within the community. Photos below show the celebration put on by the staff, students, and community the day that they moved in.