Neighborhood School Restoration and Addition
Burlingame, California
Project Outline
- Restoration of an historic elementary school in Burlingame, California
- Contextually sensitive addition of new classroom building at neighborhood school site
McKinley Elementary School, designed by Architect James H. Mitchell, is the oldest school building in the City, and was the first school built for the newly established Burlingame School District. The original main building was built in 1913, and continues to serve the community as a public school.
The Burlingame School District is comprised of neighborhood schools that provide valuable local centers for the adjacent residential communities. The schools are examples of the benefits of having elementary schools distributed throughout their neighborhoods and spaced at walkable distances within a city.
Project Vision
The intent of this proposal is to restore many of the original architectural elements that have been lost in multiple renovations during the past century which stripped the façade of much of its endearing character. Recognition of the Public School as a grounding institution in our culture has been diminished by the utilitarian treatment of the school facility. This effort proposes to reverse that trend.
The proposal will also address the need for enrollment growth in the community by adding a classroom building that is subordinate to the original Main building, but respectful of the institution of the “school.”
