A Collaborative Academic Hub Connecting STEAM, Leadership, and Global Studies
At Flintridge Preparatory School, academic excellence has always been paired with an emphasis on leadership, creativity, and global awareness. To support these values, the school set out to build a facility that could unite three of its most important programs—STEAM, global studies, and leadership under one roof. The result is the Bachmann Collaboration Building, a 17,000-square-foot, three-story academic hub that completes the north end of the campus and serves as a new gateway between the school’s academic core and athletic fields.
The building is the third phase of a $20 million master plan developed by HED, designed to anticipate the long-term needs of a competitive 21st-century learning community. At its heart, the Bachmann Collaboration Building is about connection: between disciplines, between people, and between indoor and outdoor learning. A skylit central stair links all three floors, drawing natural light deep into the building and creating an open atrium that doubles as a social and academic commons.
Instructional spaces were designed for maximum flexibility. Movable walls, reconfigurable furniture, and integrated instructional media allow rooms to shift seamlessly from lectures to team-based projects to presentations. Leadership program spaces emphasize transparency, encouraging movement between rooms and fostering collaboration across classes. The design also takes advantage of Southern California’s climate, with glazed doors that open the atrium directly to the athletic field and overhead glass doors that allow the art studio and maker space to spill outdoors onto adjacent terraces.
Technology is embedded throughout. Large walls treated with smart paint transform into interactive displays when paired with short-throw projectors, supporting real-time polling, digital annotation, and recording of lessons. Smaller spaces are equipped with flat screens to support distance learning, video conferencing, and global research initiatives, reinforcing the school’s emphasis on global engagement and leadership.
“HED has been the visionary of Flintridge Prep’s Master Campus Plan. They imagined spaces that did not exist, and their work has transformed the campus.”
Sustainability also plays a defining role. Natural ventilation and abundant daylight reduce reliance on mechanical systems, while drought-resistant landscapes and the preservation of a heritage oak tree demonstrate thoughtful site stewardship. Photovoltaic panels on the roof and photovoltaic glass cladding on the west façade generate renewable power, with infrastructure in place for future expansion. These strategies make the Bachmann Collaboration Building not only a center for innovation in learning but also a model of environmental responsibility.
The building bridges more than academic programs. It physically connects the upper academic campus to the lower athletic fields through an exterior bridge and stair, enhancing circulation and reinforcing a sense of unity across the site.
With its combination of flexible spaces, integrated technology, sustainable design, and programmatic diversity, the Bachmann Collaboration Building embodies the values of Flintridge Preparatory School. It is a place where science meets creativity, where leadership meets global engagement, and where students are prepared to take on the challenges of tomorrow.
