CAW Architects (CAW) has been at the forefront of reshaping California education through its award-winning educational portfolio for decades. Committed to enhancing the educational lives of children and young adults, the firm’s wide-ranging educational portfolio, which spans elementary, secondary, and university campus work, reflects its belief that all students deserve equal access and inclusion.

To date, the firm has designed the first two LEED Platinum K-12 public school buildings in the Bay Area, a Net-Zero Energy Master Plan for a comprehensive public high school in Oakland, and substantial campus revitalizations at Stanford University with an established goal of becoming carbon neutral and utilizing 100% renewable energy. It has been well documented that there is a clear link between increased student performance and the environmental quality of the built environment.

CAW Architects’ new designs for the state-of-the-art Corte Madera School span two acres and feature two new buildings totaling 20,545 SF. Fully upgraded, energy-efficient systems throughout greatly reduce the district’s environmental footprint, putting the school on track for LEED silver certification. Per its mission, the school fosters flexible learning environments, encouraging students to experiment, collaborate, and thrive. New facilities include art, science, and classroom spaces, a dedicated “STEAM Center,” an outdoor deck/classroom overlooking the town’s “frog pond,” a student-designed playground with play structure, and an amphitheater with stage.

One of the key highlights is the new building on the 4th/5th grade side of campus that backs up to the open space known as the “frog pond”, which is maintained by the larger community. The building is divided into two parts with a “breezeway” and deck/balcony between them. A ramp leads down to a learning area at the level of the pond that provides a perfectly framed view from the lunch area. On the 6-8th grade side of campus, the new building was oriented to highlight a spectacular view of the peak of Windy Hill, the mountain for which the nearby open space preserve is named. Inside, the classrooms are organized around a central atrium, where students view the peak through the full height of a 26’ curtain wall window system.

Design: CAW Architects
Photography: Marco Zecchin