Corey Salvatore
Director, Technology Group
Principal
LPA Architects transformed the sixth and seventh floors of San Diego Central Library into e3 Civic High. The three ‘e’s represent engage, educate, and empower.
This unusual co-location of a charter high school within a public library offers extensive opportunities for collaboration and engagement, as both organizations support a mission of lifelong learning and literacy. The design model demonstrates the mutual benefit of going beyond simply sharing space to sharing a common purpose.
e3 Civic High is an innovative charter school that diversifies the learning opportunities for all students in San Diego. The themes that the design and curriculum support are: cultural and social literacy; new media & information technology; nutrition and wellness; flexible school day with internships and job shadowing; and civic engagement and community service.
LPA designed open and modular spaces for the school which allow an interactive and flexible educational experience for the students. Acentech’s design approach integrated architectural acoustics and modular sound masking technology to enhance the acoustics of the classrooms. The masking system adjusts the background noise to an appropriate level conducive to activity in the room, such as lecture, test, or group study scenarios. Our recommendations for reconfigurable and portable audiovisual equipment further supported the flexible design.
