Reimagining a STEAM Campus with Outdoor and Collaborative Learning
Los Angeles Unified School District’s Irving STEAM Magnet Middle School is undergoing a transformation designed to support 21st-century learning while honoring the school’s history and natural setting. In collaboration with Pinner Construction, the campus modernization includes replacing the main administration and classroom building, addressing safety needs, and creating new indoor and outdoor learning environments that reflect the school’s identity and academic mission.
At the heart of the modernization is a new two-story, 58,000-square-foot administration and classroom building. This facility provides modern science and general education classrooms, art and music spaces, special education classrooms, a library and media center, a parent center, and a full administration suite. Designed to be flexible, collaborative, and inclusive, the building is intended to inspire student pride, support faculty, and foster community.
The design draws inspiration from both the Public Works Administration Modern (PWA) style of the historic campus and the natural beauty of the surrounding hills—including Forest Lawn Hill, Mount Washington, and the Echo Park hills. Respect for the historic context guided the articulation of massing and materials, while biophilic principles shaped the building’s interiors, providing access to daylight, views, and a connection to the landscape.
Three guiding ideas: Identity, Diversity, and Integrator, framed the planning. Identity is reinforced through a dedicated approach, entry, and architectural expression that gives the school a welcoming face along Estara Avenue, transforming the front of the campus into a place of pride. Diversity is supported by providing a wide variety of learning and collaboration spaces, from quiet study areas in the library to outdoor gathering zones and flexible labs. Integrator is expressed through new pathways and landscapes, including a micro-forest and outdoor classrooms, that knit together circulation routes and link students to both natural and built environments.
Outdoor spaces are central to the modernization. Terraced courtyards, shaded seating areas, outdoor reading spaces, and exterior classrooms create a vibrant connective corridor across the campus. These new landscapes complement the historic architecture while giving Irving a collegiate atmosphere. By integrating views of treetops and hills, the design expands the learning experience beyond the classroom walls.
Sustainability and safety also play key roles. The new building and landscape are designed to accommodate renewable energy with a photovoltaic system sized at 300 kWh. Universal accessibility, upgraded circulation routes, and a comprehensive fire master plan support safety and operational efficiency.
With its blend of modern program spaces, historic respect, and deep connection to the landscape, the Irving STEAM Magnet Middle School modernization represents an investment in student success, staff wellbeing, and the surrounding community. It reimagines what a middle school campus can be: safe, inspiring, and deeply connected to both place and purpose.
