High Tech High International
San Diego, California USA
Architect: Carrier Johnson + Culture

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This high school is part of an innovative charter school organization with a specific focus on international studies. By completely renovating a former Navy building built in 1952, the project team created a collaborative learning space that reinforces the school’s emphasis on team teaching, integration of technology, and assessment through presentation and exhibition. Design of the school began with an intensive and collaborative workshop to gather ideas and information. The design solution takes full advantage of the building’s large volume and abundant windows to create an open and natural light-filled environment. The result is a series of spaces that allow for both structured and informal interaction between students and faculty, from classrooms and studios, to informal seating areas and multi-purpose function spaces. Classrooms are clustered into grade-specific neighborhoods centered around a studio area. The studios allow for both entire-grade gatherings and additional teaching space. Teacher offices are located adjacent to their corresponding classrooms, a plan that decentralizes the faculty in order to create strong teacher-student connections. Windows from the teacher offices allow for observation of not only classrooms and studios, but also the circulation spaces. This visual connection carries through to the rest of the rooms, and together with the clustering, creates a sense of ownership over the immediate area. Operable partitions that separate classrooms can be opened to accommodate team teaching.

Throughout the project, unconventional and environmentally responsible interior finishes are implemented to further reinforce the urban streetscape feeling of the interior space.