The goals for the new Juan de Anza Elementary School were straightforward: Create a top quality, flexible environment, designed to enrich the student's learning experience, while also developing a community centerpiece - a new resource for this Hawthorne neighborhood. With nearly 70 percent increased floor area, the 62,000 square-foot facility includes a pre-K center, two daycare rooms, 28 K-5 classrooms, a kitchen, library/media center and multi-purpose center. Classrooms are large, ranging from 1,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet in the kindergarten rooms, and include built-in base cabinets with adjustable upper shelves, white boards and sliding tracks, Formica countertops, a sink and Internet capability. The design theme was dubbed "tastefully playful" and emphasizes a fun and stimulating environment. This theme is realized in part by the school's vibrant color scheme and modern design elements. Bright primary colors in hallways, trellises and floor tiles along with natural lighting are used throughout the building. Dual glazed classroom windows, clerestory "pop-ups" in the hallways and an east-to-west orientation maximize natural light and create a dynamic space that changes throughout the day. Other materials selected include concrete masonry block, colorful ceramic tile, brick and stucco. A single course of concrete masonry block backed by wood studs forms the shell of the building. Concrete masonry block was selected for its low maintenance, durability and flexibility of interior finishes and space utilization offered by the studs. This combination provided the best of both world by supporting the project's energy efficiency goals, while maintaining the flexibility of space so crucial to the school palners. ARCHITECT: Flewelling & Moody Architects 141 S. Lake Avenue, Second Floor Pasadena, CA 91101 Scott F. Gaudineer, AIA President Ara Zenobians, AIA Principal-In-Charge STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Johnson & Nielson Associates OWNER: Wiseburn School District