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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD 2017-0031; PACIFIC RIDGE SCHOOL - MULTI-DISCIPLINARY INNOVATION CENTER; Consistency Determination (CD)Missing application for Project ID: CD 2017-0031 Project Name: PACIFIC RIDGE SCHOOL: MULTI- DISCIPLINARY INNOVATION CENTER DEV06040 APN 213-122-1700 Related projects: CUP 06-11C (See attached project description) (/) -1-' u Q) -1-' ..c u lo.... <i u L I ~~' October 20, 2017 City of Carlsbad Building / Planning Department 1635 Faraday Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 Re: Consistency Determination for Pacific Ridge School Multi-Disciplinary Innovation Center Description of Project Pacific Ridge School is an independent secondary school located in the city of Carlsbad. The school currently has an enrollment of 605 students and 100 staff and is in the process of completing the last phases of their approved Master Plan. Currently, the school is looking to build a new two-story, 14,610 sqft Multi-Disciplinary Innovation Center, which will contain lab spaces, a library, three classrooms, a learning center, and needed office space. The building is envisioned as a place for research and development. The site for the Center is between the existing two-story, 23, 589 sqft Arts Building, and two-story, 21, 691 sqft Middle School Building. There is an adjacent parking lot that contains sixty-eight parking spaces, four of which are ADA compliant. The site is located on the South-West side of the campus. Description of Changes The new design of the Multi-Disciplinary Innovation Center at Pacific Ridge School responds to both the site and programmatic needs, while keeping with the original design intent. As the building design progressed through the design process, strategic changes were made to maximize the building's potential. There were some minor modifications to glazing throughout the fac;:ade. Full height windows were shortened by raising the sill height to approximately three feet above finish floor. This helps to reduce glare and heat gain while still providing ample lighting. In the teacher work room, more windows were added to allow more light into the space and to provide visual connectivity to the campus. In the restrooms, windows were removed for privacy and heat gain while windows in the Office space in the Learning Center were added to bring in natural light and create a visual connectivity to the campus. The eight-foot-wide windows on the South side were changed to a series of four-foot-wide windows to create a cohesive fac;:ade that better complements the ~ ~ 341 S. Cedros Avenue, Studio B, Solana Beach, CA 92075 / www.hmcarchitects.com ~ eooo ~' adjacent buildings. This same consistent look was applied to the windows on the West side. The butterfly roof was removed because the higher roof was not necessary for this program space. The desired light quality is achieved by adding six Sola-tubes in the Co- Lab / Social Lounge. This solution brings in natural light, while eliminating the heat gain and acoustical problems associated with atrium spaces. The bridge connection was eliminated between the Arts building and the Multi- Disciplinary Innovation center. In further investigation, there was no added value to the second-floor connection between the Arts building and the Multi-Disciplinary Innovation Center. The circulation space needed for the second-floor bridge connection conflicted with the desire for the space to be a social lounge. By eliminating the bridge and associated circulation space, the area could be arranged to better accommodate the desired use of the space. Minor modifications to landscaping were made to better meet the needs of the site. This space was intended to be less of a gathering space and more of a transitional zone with visual connectivity to the activity inside of the Labs. The planting areas were pulled back from the building and arranged around the circulation patterns. The seat walls remain at the boundaries of the planting areas for places of rest while students and staff move through the campus. The doors on the East end of the Library were removed to provide both more controlled access to the library space as well as more useable program area. As the design evolved, the Library and the front landscape were envisioned to be separate spaces and the indoor/ outdoor concept proved to be problematic for the Library setting. However, the indoor/ outdoor concept was retained in the Innovation Lab space allowing for both visibility to the campus and access to the outdoors for trial and testing of project work. The rear exit was relocated to the South side of the building. This better accommodates the program needs -as the design was further developed it was found that the space worked best by relocating the rear exit to the side. This allows for the study rooms to wrap around the back of the library and eliminated the elongated feeling of the library space. The roof overhang at the back of the building was eliminated. This decorative element was eliminated to create a focal point at the front of the building that accentuates the entry. The metal panel application was reduced. This softens the building exterior, while keeping in the context of the surrounding buildings. The metal panel application was used only in strategic areas that complement the surrounding buildings. The northeast corner of the building was shifted to align with the northwest corner. This was found to improve the flow and usability of the outdoor space. 2 The total GSF was reduced by approximately 1300 GSF a decrease of approximately 8%. The new footprint more accurately aligns with program goals. This also allows for better use of the site area. The smaller building footprint allowed the existing parking stalls, with a five-foot landscape buffer, to remain at the south side of the building. The smaller building footprint also allows for better exterior circulation and allows more light and increased air flow between the buildings. The trash enclosure was separated from the main building allowing for a more ideal location for trash pick-up. This also opens up the back of the building to add more usable outdoor space and create a circulation path at the rear of the building. 3