Sage Creek High School Performing Arts Center

Carlsbad, California

Firm

Rachlin Partners

Client

Carlsbad Unified School District

Area

16,500 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$15,500,000

Completion Date

06/2018

Design team: Michael Rachlin, AIA, LEED AP (Principal-in-Charge); John Thomas, AIA (Project Manager); Jennifer Harrison, AIA; Rudy Monico

As part of a design competition, Rachlin Partners o?ered a striking design for the new Sage Creek High School Performing Arts Center, a facility housing programs that include choir and instrumental music, musical theater, drama and dance. The facility also supports lectures and concerts by visiting artists.
From the arrival plaza, visitors are led to a spacious two-story lobby designed to provide ample room for queuing into the audience chamber. It can accommodate groups of more than 200 for pre- and post-performance gatherings. The black box/multipurpose room, separate from the audience chamber, features a double wall and corridor to reduce noise transfer.
The audience chamber is designed to seat more than 340; consideration is given to sight lines and acoustics that deliver a more intimate experience and improve student attentiveness.
Perforated metal panels on the entry façade are suspended in front of a structural glazed curtain wall to control the amount of sunlight cascading into the building. Presenting a striking modern aesthetic, the screens also offer a unique opportunity to provide large-scale projected signage for event advertising.