flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

A charter high school breaks ground in L.A.’s Koreatown

School Construction

A charter high school breaks ground in L.A.’s Koreatown

The $40 million project will serve about 600 students with almost 88K square feet on three floors and a courtyard.


By Novid Parsi, Contributing Editor | June 20, 2022
RISE High School ext 1
Courtesy Berliner Architects.

A new charter school has broken ground in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood. Operated by Bright Star Schools and designed by L.A. firm Berliner Architects, Rise Kohyang High School (RKHS) will serve about 600 students in grades 9 to 12 and is slated to open in the fall of 2023.

With almost 88,000 square feet, the $40 million high school is an L-shaped, three-story building with a central courtyard. The outdoor space can be accessed via the ground-level multipurpose room/lunch area and school offices. On opposite ends of the building, two stairways lead to the second floor, providing access to 24 classrooms on two levels, a library/media room, and additional staff areas. Offices are placed on all three floors to provide student supervision and facilitate collaboration among administrative staff and teachers. A second-floor balcony overlooks the courtyard.

Around the campus perimeter, fencing both creates a secure enclosure and gives students a visual connection to the outside. The fence also features the school’s name in a mix of English and Korean, a nod to the school’s community.

“Space is sparse and expensive in Los Angeles,” Richard Berliner, principal of Berliner Architects, said in a statement. “Our primary challenge was accommodating RKHS students, faculty, and staff while programming an outdoor space on an extraordinarily small, 1.2-acre site. We designed the courtyard to act as the school’s main entryway and took advantage of the naturally sloping campus topography to integrate a partially subterranean ground level for parking and student drop-off.”

The project meets design guidelines from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) for reduced energy consumption and increased sustainability. Green features promote water conservation, energy efficiency, greenhouse-gas emission reduction, and indoor environmental quality. Skylights, louvered sun blades, and roller-type window shades balance natural light and solar heat gain.

Berliner Architects is also designing the $35 million Rise Kohyang Middle School, located about two miles from RKHS. 

Building Team:

Owner and/or developer: Bright Star Schools 

Design architect: Berliner Architects 

Architect of record: Berliner Architects 

MEP engineer: Budlong and Associates

Structural engineer: Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers 

General contractor/construction manager: Bernards 

RISE High School ext 2
Courtesy Berliner Architects.
RISE High School balcony ext 3
Courtesy Berliner Architects.

 

Related Stories

| Aug 27, 2014

Study looks at lessons from involving children in K-12 school design

A study examining what architects can learn from children, especially during the design process, is being carried out through the University of Sheffield's school of architecture. 

| Aug 25, 2014

Tall wood buildings: Surveying the early innovators

Timber has been largely abandoned as a structural solution in taller buildings during the last century, in favor of concrete and steel. Perkins+Will's Rebecca Holt writes about the firm's work in surveying the burgeoning tall wood buildings sector.

| Aug 21, 2014

Ranked: Top science and technology sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

HDR, Affiliated Engineers, and Skanska top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest S+T sector design and construction firms.

Sponsored | | Aug 16, 2014

Fire-rated framing system makes the grade at Johnson & Wales University Center

The precision engineering of TGP’s Fireframes Aluminum Series creates narrow profiles and crisp sightlines at Johnson & Wales University Center for Physician Assistant Studies

| Aug 16, 2014

The science of learning: Designing the STEM learning facilities of the future

New technology and changing pedagogies are influencing how to best teach a generation of learners who have never known a world without smartphones or tablets, writes HOK's Kimberly Robidoux.

| Aug 14, 2014

8 do's and don'ts for completing an HVAC life cycle cost assessment

There are many hurdles to overcome when completing a life cycle cost assessment. RMF Engineering’s Seth Spangler offers some words of advice regarding LCCAs.

| Aug 14, 2014

Life cycle cost analysis using energy modeling

A life cycle cost analysis helps a school district decide which HVAC system to use in $198 million worth of future building projects.

| Aug 13, 2014

Campus UX: Why universities should be creating 'branded environments' on campus

When most colleges and universities consider their brands, they rarely venture beyond the design and implementation of a logo, writes Gensler Design Director Brian Brindisi.

| Aug 12, 2014

First look: Calatrava's futuristic Main Building opens at Florida Polytechnic University

The $60 million structure is wrapped in a bright-white, aluminum pergola for dramatic effect and solar shading.

| Aug 8, 2014

Government Sector Giants: Public-sector construction slow, but stirring [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Improving energy performance of existing properties through targeted upgrades and large-scale reconstruction continues to be a federal priority, according to BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 Report. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021