ST. HELENA PRIMARY SCHOOL

St. Helena, CA

 

Located in the heart of the historic Napa Valley, St. Helena Primary School is surrounded by a park, vineyards, and rural homes. The visual impact of a new school at such a pristine site was of utmost concern to neighbors and community.

Neighborhood ‘coffee klatches’ were held in neighbors’ homes to work together to achieve a design solution that would minimally impact the environment. Buildings were broken into house-sized units and oriented at an angle to the street in order to reduce their apparent mass. Forms and materials were selected to reflect Napa Valley’s agricultural heritage. Gardens, trellis, and fences were strategically placed to screen buildings and minimize their mass.

The school features a strong relationship between indoor and outdoor instructional areas in order to accommodate the school’s specialized curriculum. The centerpiece of the design is a covered outdoor classroom surrounded by student gardens.