Rio Vista Elementary School, Innovation Lab

Pico Rivera, California

Firm

High Performance Learning Environments

Client

El Rancho Unified School District

Area

928 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$462,308

Completion Date

01/2017

Design team: Joe LoBusso, Nour Kassam

Rio Vista Elementary School was one of the first elementary schools in El Rancho Unified School District to modernize one of its outdated classrooms and create an Innovation Lab. It creates an environment that enables students to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math, while creating experiments and projects that foster creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.
Ceiling panels and fabric-absorbing surfaces were added to provide optimal acoustic quality. To ensure indoor air quality, mechanical ventilation was used as well as low-emitting colorful paints. Enhanced technology elements include wi-fi technology and wired connectivity, convenient access to power through drop-down power outlets, and visual displays on wall surfaces for distributed interactivity.
A unique feature of the Innovation Lab is the Hydraulic Bi-Folding System, which is all-steel construction and opens vertically. It enables the learning environment to extend into an informal exterior learning space. Lastly, flexibility and comfort are reflected within the lab with distributed tackable surfaces, writable wall surfaces, and mobile whiteboards as well as movable seating and tables with large working surfaces.