College Track is a non-profit organization that endeavors to inspire a college-going culture in under-resourced neighborhoods and empower high school students to reach their dreams of a college degree. We renovated an un-reinforced masonry warehouse in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco to create a flagship center for the organization that would reflect that educational, college-bound mission.  By breathing new life into this previously abandoned building on a prominent corner site, we established a strong, visible presence for College Track, and a kind of beacon for students in the neighborhood.  Inside, our design objective was to create a dynamic space for learning that would encourage exploration, while at the same time allow for easy supervision. 

A series of tutoring rooms and support spaces are organized around a central, skylit reading room, accented by a translucent light monitor that allows in natural light from new windows along the north facade.  Natural and recycled finishes complement the exposed building structure, while vibrant colors in the furnishings energize the student activity spaces.  The 13,800 s.f. project included a full seismic upgrade of the brick exterior, alteration of the existing steel trusses to allow for the insertion of a partial second floor, and all new building systems.  Despite a modest construction budget, the Bayview center offers a positive sense of place to students who look to College Track for a path forward.

Material Used :

1. Transluscent Panels: Acrylite 'Satin Ice'

2. Resilient Wall Surfaces: Forbo 'Bulletin Board'

3. Cork Flooring: Expanko

4. Acoustical Ceilings: Tectum

5. Carpet Tile: Interface 'Cubic'

6. Stacking Chairs: Vitra 'Tip Ton'