Newark Unified High School District

Newark, California

Newark Memorial High School

New Technology Center

Technology Center Entrance

Starlab Flexible Classroom-Laboratory Space

Video Studio Control Room

Video Studio

Tech Center Floor Plan

DLM New and Modernized Facilities at Newark Memorial High School

The design team's challenge was to provide a state-of-the-art technology center that addresses the expanding student population and offers an advanced and creative learning environment. This 24,500 square-foot facility complements all academic areas of the campus by offering a learning environment that caters to the latest developments in electronic technology and creative media. The hub of this facility is a large, flexible Technology Lab. This facility can be tailored to the creative needs of science, mathematics, electronics, music, and other interested disciplines. An adjacent audio/visual studio provides students the opportunity to learn studio production techniques including film, video, and audio editing.

Newark Unified High School District

Newark, California

Newark Memorial High School

New Student Commons

Student Commons Main Entrance

Student Commons Interior

Student Commons Before and After

Student Commons Renovated Floorplan

Student Commons Video Presentation

The planning process included open workshops and the active pursuit of opinions from the facility’s primary users – the students. The result was a list of priorities and mandates for the project design. The success of this project is best demonstrated by its newfound popularity with students as the ‘go-to spot’ on campus. The project’s success is also measured by its flexibility of use from large-scale academic classes to its high-octane night-time school dances. The community utilizes this facility extensively due to its flexibility for accommodating large-scale instructional and socializing capabilities. The integrated design of audio-video systems caters to both academic and social gatherings. The use of fully integrated data and delivery technology, along with the very large-scale projection screen, provides for community services formerly only imagined.

Students, staff, and community were all involved in the needs assessment and the vision of this important community asset. The planning process included open workshops and the active pursuit of opinions from the facility’s primary users – the students and community members. The Community Events Center’s existence is a tribute to community sponsorship and the campus’ cooperative relationship with surrounding civic and corporate entities. This 47,480 square-foot, 180-foot clear-span structure reflects the need to implement a major facility within a community that demanded a dignified and respectful, yet energetic, architectural statement. The need for multi-purpose and flexible space resulted in upper level with reverse collapsing bleachers. These bleachers are open for major main floor events and collapse (back to front) for upper level activities. The community and campus jointly utilize this facility extensively due to its flexibility for accommodating more than the entire student body. The facility has over 2,500 seats in a main events configuration.

The Newark Unified School District is a public K-12 district that serves the city of Newark. The district operates one high school, one junior high school, eight elementary schools, and one preschool. The district currently serves roughly 7,500 students.

The district-wide Master Plan addressed 900,000 square feet worth of facilities on 12 sites, and aided the passage of a general obligation bond in the November 2011 election.