Arroyo High School, California

Arroyo High School is a public school in the El Monte Union High School District of California. Its attendance area consists of 4 communities including El Monte, Temple City, Arcadia and an unincorporated area of Los Angeles.

The campus is constantly undergoing additions and upgrades as it is Arroyo High School Board’s aim to expand capacity and provide a seamless experience to both the students and staff. The most recent work at the school included the addition of a new modern wing comprising a performing arts theatre, offices and learning centres.

The new single storey 35,000 ft² facility consists of 50% office space, with the remainder dedicated to class, learning and arts activity areas.

The engineering services include standalone air conditioning systems, ducted air conditioning services, energy recovery ventilators (ERV) and rooftop package units. These systems provide the most efficient air distribution for the building layout while meeting acoustics requirements and architectural intent.

Careful consideration was given to the acoustics for the theatre, coordination of duct work with ceilings, catwalks, lights and stage and concealing equipment within the ceiling spaces and corridors. The electrical work involved new switchboards and new connections to the existing campus supply, achieving a functional and effective electrical plan.

The project also adheres to the California Building Code’s high energy efficiency standards and meets the requirements for Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), emphasising sustainability and various aspects of indoor environmental quality to enhance the internal spaces for educational purposes.

CHPS is a not-for-profit organisation working to ensure all PK-12 students have access to environments supporting learning and wellness. To fulfill their requirements, our design focused on energy recovery as well as a healthy indoor environment including ventilation, thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics – making internal spaces better for a better campus.