Oakland Hebrew Day School
Oakland, California
The Oakland Hebrew Day School is a private, non-profit elementary school. The new structure is a 28,000-square-foot building built on a technically challenging site. Bedrock under the southern portion of the building is 60 feet below the surface, whereas the rock underneath the northern portion of the school is approximately 15 to 20, making for a complicated foundation system.
The new building is a double-loaded corridor system with simple spans and efficient mechanical and electrical systems. Conventional stick construction with a stucco skin provided a very malleable surface within a reasonable budget. Molded masses, planes, and extensions were used to break out of the rectangular scheme, giving relief to what otherwise would be a conventional box. Large openings in the walls bring framed views of the San Francisco Bay and Oakland hills into each classroom, while decks off the library and religious studies areas offer contemplative vistas of the adjacent landscape.