The new hub of student life for Britton Middle School is a two-story, all-electric café and media center with a mass timber roof, a floating study pod and an ambitious role in a growing downtown community.
On the edge of Morgan Hill’s downtown, Britton Middle School’s new all-electric student union is a transparent, two-story swirl of student life that plays many roles for the school and the growing Northern California community.
For Britton students, the facility’s cafeteria, kitchen, media library and study zones — indoor and outdoor — change the daily experience and add modern learning environments on a campus dating to the 1950s. After hours, the student union is available for community events and meetings, an important extension of the growing walkable downtown, a tree-lined mix of retail, offices and residential.
“There is a duality to the facility,” says LPA Design Director Helen Pierce. “It serves the district and the community in many different ways.”
The two-story café is a bright, open area that can serve many roles for the school and the community.
From the start, Morgan Hill Unified School District wanted the school to have a public presence. The site was an empty lot on the edge of the campus, which has been a rich part of family history for generations of locals. There has been a school on the site since 1905, including the town’s first high school. The student union was the last — and most visible — piece of a campus-wide transformation for the middle school, and the district wanted a “crown jewel” to serve as a model for future campuses.
“We envisioned Britton Middle School’s Student Union as a unique welcoming portal into Morgan Hill,” says Morgan Hill USD Bond Program Director Jackie Schaefer. “We chose LPA because we knew they would bring an out-of-the-box, fresh design to the building.”
The study pod is a quiet space with visual privacy from the space below.
The student union design was developed through a lease-leaseback process, which puts the emphasis on communication early in the process. The contractor, Flint Builders, worked closely with LPA through design development and ultimately set a maximum price for the district, which was using bond funds for the student union.
“The lease-leaseback brings a collaborative team together early in design development,” said LPA Senior Project Manager Denise Flatley. “We were able to share our priorities with the construction team and get their input.”
The Street-Level Connection
The design purposely pushes the new student union next to the sidewalk, connecting in alignment with other buildings in the revitalizing downtown. LPA landscape architects and civil engineers were involved to site the building as close to the street as possible. The street-front approach also freed space on the campus side of the building for covered outdoor learning and activity spaces.
“This wasn’t your typical middle school project,” says LPA Project Designer Kevin Leslie. “We don’t usually do this in an urban environment.”
The student union is the “crown jewel” of a campus-wide renovation.
“I think having beautiful spaces like this changes the way we look at education and the way the kids look
at their faculty as well.” — Nanette Donahue, Britton Middle School Principal
The student union’s most visible element — beyond an exposed glulam-beam mass timber roof structure — is the two-story café, a bright, open area with different spaces to support a broad range of activities, including lunch. A digital display wall can be used for presentations or events. Different seating arrangements help promote the café as a place to hang out. To accommodate public events, a street-side entrance, locked during the day, can be opened for special events and town meetings; the space is also available for lease by private parties.
The mass timber roof provides shade for an outdoor plaza with a variety of learning and social spaces.
The second floor, with spectacular views of El Toro Summit, the landmark local mountain, is home to the media center, study pod, reading nook and an outdoor covered patio. Open spaces can be easily reconfigured for study groups or one-on-one time. A study pod, inspired by a need for transparency from within while maintaining visual privacy from the café below, appears to float above the street-level café; at night, the lighting design makes the pod glow in the space, strengthening the visual connection with the street. On the campus side, a grand staircase connects the second floor with a courtyard plaza protected by the mass timber overhang.
Outside, the plaza expands the café’s flexibility by offering a variety of seating and gathering spaces where students can study, eat, socialize and see and be seen. Research into the specific needs and sensitivities of middle schoolers helped shape the environments, inside and out.
“We created environments where students can feel comfortable and safe in different social environments.” — Kevin Leslie, LPA Project Designer
Project designer Kevin Leslie discusses design concept massing with the district.
“Not everyone is comfortable in all types of settings,” says LPA landscape architect Andrew Wickham. “We were very conscious about creating a large open space where the most outgoing of students could express themselves, while also creating smaller spaces where more-introverted students might be more comfortable, but still feel part of the school community.”
The facility was developed around core themes of mind, body and community. Designers worked with the district’s nutrition services to develop an open kitchen that promoted healthy eating and locally sourced food. Material choices, abundant natural light and access to broad views throughout the building promote biophilia and connections to nature. LPA’s Sustainability and Applied Research team was integrally involved in the process, helping to design study areas and learning spaces that support equity and a sense of belonging among students who are just starting to explore the world.
Research helped guide the design of spaces appropriate for middle schoolers.
“We created environments where students can feel comfortable and safe in different social environments,” Leslie says. “Students can choose where they want to hang out.”
The sustainability strategies, which helped reduce energy use by 65% from the industry baseline, are on display throughout the facility. Solar fins, sunshades, ceiling fans and operable walls and windows improve ventilation and reduce energy demand. The roof was designed for the potential to add photovoltaic panels in the future.
The media center is an open, flexible space that can be used for a wide range of activities.
Making a Difference
For Morgan Hill, the student union with its mass timber roof and tall windows is a new landmark for the community.
“The new building is an innovative and beautiful student union that is an extension of downtown Morgan Hill,” Schaefer says. “These buildings will be something the staff can be proud of and enjoy for many years to come.”
The student union also represents an important step forward for the district and its education goals. The district’s vision is evident throughout the building, from developing a farm-to-table “scratch” kitchen to collaborative outdoor learning environments.
“I think having beautiful spaces like this changes the way we look at education and the way the kids look at their faculty as well,” Britton Principal Nanette Donahue said at the grand opening. “That’s made a huge impact for our students with their academics, social, emotional and behavioral attendance — everything that’s made them want to come and stay.”
Sidebar: A Community Gateway to Downtown
Britton Middle School occupies a key site at the entrance to downtown Morgan Hill. The student union was designed to link the school with the community and the growing downtown.
