Hillbrook School
Conceptual Campus Plan
A campus reconfigured to advance experiential and student-led learning
Hillbrook School is an independent K-8 grade school situated on a 14-acre woodland campus in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The school sought to modernize its campus and grow enrollment while staying within the allowable square footage stipulated by its conditional use permit. MKThink collected data on occupancy and utilization to determine actual capacity and opportunities for expansion. Workshops with faculty uncovered insights into pedagogy to define criteria for ideal learning environments. Surveys of the grounds explored utilizing green space for outdoor learning.Â
CHALLENGE
To modernize its campus and grow enrollment while staying within the allowable square footage stipulated by its conditional use permit.
APPROACH
MKThink collected data on occupancy and utilization to determine actual capacity and opportunities for expansion. Workshops with faculty uncovered insights into pedagogy to define criteria for ideal learning environments. Surveys of the grounds explored utilizing green space for outdoor learning.
RESULT
MKThink applied the data to devise a hub-and-spoke model that maximizes utilization and aligns with the school’s guiding principles and translated the model into a campus master plan. This master plan led to the design/creation of several new places on campus.
DATES
2013 - 2014
CITY
Los Gatos
STATE
California
SIZE/SCALE
14 Acres / 585,882 SF
MARKET
K-12
SERVICES
Data Collection, Data Analysis, Visioning, Conceptual Design, and Master Planning.