Pacific Sky School is Del Mar Union School District’s (DMUSD) 9th school. This school site is designed to accommodate a 450-student K-6 school campus and includes a Central Kitchen facility. The design process included reoccurring workshops and meetings with DMUSD’s cabinet and community to fully understand all stakeholder’s visions and incorporate them into the project.
Stakeholder vision of the building’s aesthetic is tied to the site’s location along the canyon. Concrete masonry walls, exposed heavy timber structure, and ample glazing have been selected not only for their durability and functionality, but also to express the openness of the site and its connection to the canyon. All buildings are single story for scale and to minimize impact on views to the canyon from neighboring structures.
To achieve DMUSD’s education vision, all classrooms and educational components are within one interconnected building, allowing for free-flowing movement of students, faculty and staff, and creative use of interior circulation space as extended learning space. Learning happens everywhere. The design of the Innovation Center is a departure from the traditional Multi-Use Room (MUR) and Library, with the space designed to be open and flexible, including area for robotics, computers, small and large presentation areas, and reading nooks. A stage will be included, with a theater that can be enclosed to allow for lighting and acoustic requirements for theatrical performances.
