Performing Arts Center Torrey Pines High School
BRUSH
Located on the Torrey Pines High School overlooking the city of San Diego, small site that is sitting in the back of school adjacently to a school parking promises a new iconic framework of the sites’ users and community. The site is currently covered with dirt, wild plants and grasses. Looking West, 5 interstate is running from North to South and its half-mile surroundings on both West and South are covered much of residential houses. In the North-East, Torrey Pines Dog Park and Public Park are blended creating a seamlessly vast of green lawn meeting the horizontal line of the sky. But much more or less of the school’s site condition information, Torrey Pines High School maintains a long architectural history.
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GRASS
Prior to 1936, North County students went to high school in Oceanside, California. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the large amount of growth projected to the growth of the area determined that a second high school was needed. Torrey Pines High School was built and opened in the fall of 1974 when initial access was from the original alignment of two-lanes only Black Mountain Rd. After Del Mar Heights Road was extended east, the access road was modified. At the time the school was being built with an open courtyard, classrooms with no windows, and many of the classrooms had no doors with wide hallways and large carpeted podium-like benches one could sit on. Over the time, there were some noticeable discrepancies: there was an immediate shortage of classrooms and lockers. Portable classrooms had to be brought in and food service building was utilized instead of vending machines.
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Most of building on the South side are currently new. In the 1980s, the school was expanded towards Del Mar Heights Road, creating rooms 41 – 62; a new parking, bus, and student drop-off area was added; a football stadium built. These changes caused the original portable classrooms to be converted to a weight room and other sport-related uses. In addition, the original school black box theater is now used as a lecture hall. In 2003, Building E and G were finally built to the growth demand. Furthermore, more stairs were constructed to many existing buildings in response to easy access for site users and students.
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Since all building in the North of the school existed in 1970s, both building’s facade and volumetric appeared flat from a far distance. Therefore, I envision an iconic theater is much higher in height and volumetric. The theater will activate the West parking as the secondary main entrance as its foyer opens up to frame a picture of the Torrey Pines Public Park in the East and captures the sunset in the West. Bridging the north side the sound side lot of the site, flexible classrooms/exhibition is the transition between public and private areas. The framework will serve academic values such as art, performance art, lectures, and professional conferences. This way, students can be well-rounded and can empower their knowledge educationally from both educators and professionals. At the same time, this iconic may also provide scholarly activities to the Del Mar community in a meaningful and sincerely ways. As the school vision statement is "Our vision is to be a dynamic community of lifelong learners who make significant contributions in our world."
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Site diagram
programs backstage operation education circulation / foyer
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circulation / Lobby auditorium