Nueva Upper School

Bay Meadows - San Mateo, CA

The Nueva School at Bay Meadows upends the traditional suburban high school via a campus filled with a variety of educational and social environments, each one designed to inspire the 21st century high school student, and to help them make deeper connections to a world outside of the academic school walls.

Learning spaces are organized and distributed to create social / educational territories that de-emphasize association with particular knowledge domains. This helps to “break down the silos” of learning, while providing more opportunities for teachers as they develop new curriculum. Learning Labs interconnect to assist and support cross-disciplinary activities. Classroom proximity to support facilities and outdoor and social spaces activates each learning space with greater flexibility and more opportunities.

Located in San Mateo’s Bay Meadows transit-oriented mixed-use development, the project optimizes its connection to the nearby community, is close to public transit, and is designed to reduce use of resources - 65% less energy and 50% less water than a typical high school of similar size. The project includes classrooms, learning labs, support spaces, a dining hall, gym and library within a campus that includes outdoor on-grade and rooftop gathering spaces. A Phase II Auditorium and Classroom Annex were included in a comprehensive masterplan executed for the project.

• LEED Platinum Certification
• AIA National – Educational Facility Design Award
• Sustainable San Mateo County, Green Building Award
• Client: The Nueva School
• Size: 110,000 sq. ft. (Phase 1)
• Team: Charlie Stott, Project Manger for LMS Architects

• Photography: Tim Griffith & Kyle Jeffers