ST. THOMAS SCHOOL LOS ANGELES, CA St. Thomas is a K-8 Catholic grade school in a densely populated part of the city on an extremely small site. The basic strategy is to accomplish a maximum ef- fect with resourceful design strategies. The project is extremely cost-effective and employs strategies of economy of means by turning every constraint on the project into an architectural opportunity. The new play- ground is stacked over parking connecting to a new driveway wrapped around the perimeter of the site that simultaneously provides a fire lane and diffuses local
traffic congestion by providing a new on-site drop-off in front of the new Urban Porch. This space introduces a nexus of functional variety; under the shading pro- vided by the cantilevered off-the-shelf Vulcraft trusses extending from the interior are a new pedestrian entry along an over-scaled, required handicap ramp. The surrounding space functions as an outdoor lunch- room, library entrance, aftercare program playground or the second-story balcony as a religious lectern at different times of the day and week.
The new building is separated from the existing one to accommodate a phased construction and to allow light to reach the former basement of the renovated existing building. The newly excavated basement pro- vides new outdoor play areas for K, 1st, 2nd grades buffered from the older kids. Bridges, a stair and a new elevator (which upgrades ADA for the existing build- ing) connect the existing building with the new build- ing’s Gym/Multi-Purpose Room, Library and Art Room and engage the covered outdoor space. During week-
day school use, a large landscaped forecourt fronts the street and extends the playground, while on the weekends it also accommodates additional parking. A simple palette of cost effective materials includes galvanized metal mesh guardrails and ceiling panels, corrugated metal siding, cement plaster and exposed concrete. The Urban Porch provides a new identity for the school and St. Thomas Parish within the city and it is linked back to the parish public street via the large ramp.
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