Educational

Los Feliz Charter for the Arts

This project was a conversion and change of use of an existing warehouse manufacturing building to a K-6 elementary school. The warehouse is approximately 45,600 sq ft and was built for a high-tech development company. There were several Building Code issues that needed to be resolved with the Los Angeles Building and Fire Department prior to commencement of final contract documents

YEAR

2010

LOCATION

Los Angeles, CA

CATEGORY

Educational

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The Challenge: Convert an existing media design company headquarters into a public elementary school for the arts. The 45,600 square foot space had previously been divided into open office areas with shipping containers and tents; these spaces were transformed into open-plan learning spaces for the students.

Rafael Franco & Associates also added a visual arts center using industrial storage racks and a theater defined by an accordion wall that doubles as display space. With limited resources Rafael Franco & Associates made each dollar count, innovating with inexpensive materials for the lighting and finishes.