By Eric Althoff
SAN RAFAEL, Calif.鈥擳he San Rafael City Schools (SRCS) entity has announced that Terra Linda High School鈥檚 new gymnasium is ready for play. In addition to athletics, the new gym will be able to host assemblies and community events as well. The new building will allow TLHS to host league sporting events in its enhanced space.
The 22,000-square-foot project offers new student physical fitness facilities, weight and cardio training rooms, as well as competition-level courts for volleyball, basketball and other athletic events. The gym was designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects and constructed by BHM Construction.
As imagined by the design-build team, the gymnasium will meet sustainability guidelines as set out in the Collaborative for High Performance School recommendations. The gymnasium will also be the district鈥檚 first building that will utilize reclaimed water thanks to a dual piping system that will funnel water for sanitation and irrigation. Other sustainability features include low-flow plumbing fixtures, daylight-responsive lighting controls, as well HVAC and control systems powered by 60 percent renewable energy. If the district opts for such a route, the gymnasium can also be made entirely solar-powered in the future as it has left room for the installation of a microgrid battery system.
Jim Hogeboom, superintendent of San Rafael City Schools, enthused that the project gives the campus an entirely new frontage鈥攁nd also connects to the surrounding community thanks to a network of bike pathways. The building has also been purposely designed so that it can double as an emergency shelter should the community鈥檚 needs arise.
鈥淲ith gratitude for the support that made Bond Measure B and this project possible, we hope to provide essential resources to our community at-large,鈥� said Hogeboom.
鈥淭he strong partnerships forged between QKA, BHM and the district resulted in an outstanding new facility which will enhance the TLHS campus and school community,鈥� QKA Principal Emeritus Steve Kwok said of the work his firm has undertaken with the district and the general contractor. 鈥淥ur expertise in high-performance education buildings allowed the design-build team to center the district鈥檚 priorities around making the building a safe and efficient campus landmark. Great emphasis was placed on the building鈥檚 environmental impact, including a permanent display on its sustainable features installed in the gymnasium lobby, which will serve as a learning tool for all entering the building.鈥�
BHM Construction, which has been in business for over 15 years, has amassed a construction portfolio within the past half-decade worth over $1 billion. Meanwhile, Quattrocchi Kwok, which has been open for nearly four decades, has made a name for itself in master planning and design for K-12 and high education design work.