Morgan Hill Student Union Earns AIA Silicon Valley Honor Award

Britton Middle School’s new all-electric student union with distinctive mass timber roof is honored for design that creates ‘a place of community for students.’

LPA Design Studios recently received an Honor Award in the 2025 AIA Silicon Valley Design Awards for the design of a new, all-electric student union for Britton Middle School in Morgan Hill, California.

The two-story student union, the last and most visible element of the modernization of a campus built in the 1950s, created a new gateway for the city’s growing downtown, bridging school and public life. The tall windows of the facility’s café and media center, shaded by a mass timber roof, are one of the first things visitors see as they enter downtown.

The AIA Silicon Valley jury praised the design as “exemplary work, with clarity of massing and organization around the program and site.” The jury specifically cited the project for creating “a place of community for students and … [forming] a variety of different social and educational spaces.”

The award for Britton is the latest in a series of top honors for LPA’s integrated design teams, including four AIA Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) awards, the industry’s top honor, most recently for Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas.

“Britton is an example of an integrated team working with educators and the community to achieve a project that works for students and the community,” said LPA Design Director Helen Pierce. “None of this would be possible without a spirit of collaboration.”

Developed through a lease-back process, the student union was designed as a model for future campuses. The facility mixes dining, social and media spaces, including a study pod that appears to float above the space. After school hours, the facility can be opened for public use.

LPA’s Sustainability + Applied Research team helped build the design around themes of mind, body and community. Working with the district’s nutrition services, designers developed an open kitchen that teaches healthy eating and promotes locally sourced food. Natural materials, light and views promote biophilia. Study areas and learning spaces are designed around equity, choice and a sense of belonging.

Solar fins, sunshades, ceiling fans and operable walls and windows help reduce energy demand by 65%, while the PV-ready roof points the way to eventual net-zero energy performance. The mass timber roof also created an active plaza, with an array of outdoor spaces designed to support the needs of middle schoolers.

“The simplicity of the canopy along with the indoor-outdoor space was seen to address issues around climate and the overall student experience,” the jury noted.

The AIA Silicon Valley Design Awards recognize “outstanding achievements in architecture and design” and work that contributes to the framework of the local environment. Earlier this year, the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (C.A.S.H.) honored the Britton student union with an Award of Merit.

Read more about the Britton Middle School Student Union design.