Lydiksen Elementary School

When Lydiksen Elementary needed to expand to keep up with its growing student population, Pleasanton Unified School District in California turned to a team of LEED certified architects and engineers for answers. The team welcomed two challenging assignments: one a retrofit and modernization, the other new construction of an outdoor campus structure. These projects fell under the jurisdiction and stringent oversight of the California Division of the State Architect.

The second assignment was the design and construction of a 3,000 square-foot, V-shaped outdoor shade structure. Using structural steel for the main frame, the cantilevered column design utilized cross-laminated timber which allows for a smaller carbon footprint. This aesthetically pleasing addition created a shaded lunch area that offered children protection from the weather, while extending their opportunities to be outside for enhanced learning and recreation.