Master planning is an important element of the architectural process in determining the scope of work, timelines and costs. Effective master planning is based on the seamless integration of an institution's business, academic, enrollment and student life with the long-range campus development plan. An ambitious master plan was developed for Mira Costa High School in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District to address various needs for the District, the community, and of course, the students. The campus, built in the 1940s, suffers from disorientation and loss of identity. The growth boom of the 1950s caused the campus to expand from the inside-out, creating a loss of entrance and frontage. The new buildings' facades and volumetric arrangements, layered and broken down, reflect the very context of the campus location and allows for a noticeable and dramatic entryway. The modernization framework, spanning a six-year period, includes the addition of a performing arts center, a two-story classroom building, an administration building and a library/media center, and three distinct plazas. Existing facilities will be modernized to comply with fire & life safety, ADA, and structural requirements.