Pica + Sullivan Architects and Curtis School initiated the design of the new Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center (CLIC) building in early 2022. From the start, the building was envisioned to be a game-changer for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) education. Co-designed with the Curtis teachers and staff, the planning and design focused on creating a teaching/learning venue that intertwines the artistic, scientific, and physical.
The active design involvement by the teachers assisted in defining goals as well as imagining new opportunities for teaching. The collaborative design process mirrored the Curtis School’s overriding purpose of building the child’s foundation and setting them up to be empathetic collaborators of our world’s needs.
Since its 1990 inception, Pica + Sullivan have focused on K-12 education planning and architecture and, in the process, have worked with many prominent independent schools in Southern California. At Curtis School, Pica + Sullivan designed the remodel of the Library in 2011, the Ahmanson Arts Complex in 2013, the Administration Offices in 2018, and recently completed an in-depth study to explore the expansion of the existing classroom buildings. The design of the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center is in line with the Pica + Sullivan philosophy to create buildings that sensitively respond to the existing campus context and scale, expand the learning environment beyond the traditional classroom, and prioritize comfortable, flexible indoor and outdoor places for experimenting, collaborating, and learning.
Pica + Sullivan Architects specialize in master planning and architectural design for non-profit independent and religious-based schools, religious organizations, social service organizations, and charitable foundations. The firm has been involved in over 1,000 projects of varying scopes ranging in size from campus master plans to new campuses and new structures. The team working on the CLIC includes principals V. Joseph Pica and Maureen Sullivan, Scot Oehlbert, architect and lead designer, Mimi Pon, project manager, and Di Song, designer.
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