Michael Rachlin, AIA

Righetti High School Classroom Building

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
Santa Maria, California

Designed for flexibility, the new 42,400-square-foot classroom building is comprised of a total of thirty-eight classrooms, twenty-nine of which are intended for general instruction in Math, English and Health. Four classrooms are dedicated to meeting the needs of the school’s Career Pathway program. These Pathway Flex Rooms will accommodate flexible programming, including the provision of a digital arts and photography classroom. The remaining five rooms are Assessment Flex Rooms with collapsible center walls that open to create a space suitable for large group assessments and evening assemblies, or to accommodate unique project requirements.

Designed as a sensitive addition to the campus, a portion of the new building is placed at a 60-degree angle that creates a path of travel connecting the classroom building to the new gymnasium and sports complex. The organization of the buildings enhances circulation along the north/south axis of the campus and affords an opportunity to develop a plaza where students can gather for outdoor activities and events.