The new Sally Ride Elementary School serves as the “front door” of an urban community currently under redevelopment. The 52,500-sf facility serves approximately 650 students from kindergarten to fifth grade on two levels, and resides on a dense site of 2.7 acres. It contains 27 classrooms, administrative offices, a joint-use multi-purpose space, food services and library. The library is strategically located on the site’s corner, serving as a destination point by anchoring the two sides of the north and west classroom buildings.

The project also includes a City of Los Angeles pocket park with resting areas, a band shelter, and connectivity to the city’s library across the street. The outdoor playground design stems from a garden concept, allowing children the opportunity to play and experience nature in an existing urban setting.

Signage, traffic and pedestrian way patterns, street lighting, and the widening of Central Avenue and 42th Street—where left and right turning lanes and signalization was designed—are all integral components of this facility. The project included coordination with the County and Los Angeles Housing Authority regarding screening and access to an existing housing complex. The building is a community steward of education and sustainability.