In partnership with the Oakland Unified School District, school administration, and local community, Multistudio developed a vision of an equitable preschool that sparks imagination and curiosity while encouraging early ecological stewardship.

In service of this vision, the facility provides learning environments connected to nature and support services for the whole family. The four classrooms accommodate 108 children and open onto a series of outdoor areas for nature play, noisy play, and gardening. The early childhood learning facility also includes a family resource center and dedicated staff work areas.

The school is all-electric and designed to meet the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) sustainability guidelines, supporting OUSD’s goals for energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Sustainable design features serve as educational tools, including a solar roof that offsets energy use and carbon emissions, edible gardens with a water-collection barrel, and a teaching garden focused on the water and nutrient cycles.

Design: Multistudio
Photography: Bryan Tarnowski, Visual Content Director, Multistudio