New Discovery Building at Santa Monica High School Welcomes Students

Construction on the new Discovery Building at Santa Monica High School in California (locally known as SAMOHI), is complete. The three-story, 280,000-square-foot academic complex houses 43 classrooms, including science and computer labs, indoor and outdoor dining facilities, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a suite for medically fragile students, a rooftop garden classroom and a parking garage for nearly 300 cars.

Transforming SAMOHI’s North Campus, this $133-million innovative structure is designed as an “open building,” with a flexible, open-column grid, raised floor and non-load bearing walls which can be reconfigured over time. The academic complex will cater to social interactions and strengthen the sense of community on SAMOHI’s campus by elevating educational, cultural and recreational pursuits; improve campus access and circulation and support whole child development and diverse learning styles.

Redefining traditional classrooms and taking full advantage of the SoCal climate, large shade trees and landscape rooms will also serve as teaching, dining and gathering spaces. Outdoor classrooms—including a rooftop hydroponic garden and science classroom—connect students with the natural world, supporting experiential, hands-on learning. Additionally, interior classrooms will be organized around common spaces and will be able to easily adapt to evolving pedagogical approaches and uses, thanks to the structure’s flexible, innovative open building concept and operable glass walls.

The project team included McCarthy Building Companies, HED and Moore Ruble Yudell.