California Prep School Wraps $12M Collaboration Building

By SCN Staff

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif.—The new $12 million Bachmann Collaboration Building at Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada Flintridge has been completed. Serving grades seven through 12, the three-story building spans 18,000 square feet and includes laboratories, art studios, classrooms, meeting rooms and offices where students and faculty can come together to learn and grow.

The Bachmann Collaboration Building—which replaced an existing building at the northern end of the campus—is part of the school’s multi-phased campus improvement project intended to promote interactive work and interdisciplinary studies that will better prepare students for college and the workplace. Encompassing leadership, science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM), as well as global studies programs, the new building will ensure the school’s regional and national competitiveness.

The new structure is a combination of concrete masonry unit and steel-framed walls. Designed by HED, it incorporates sleek and modern design elements with vast amounts of natural light, which complements the existing architecture on campus. The project also includes a new fire lane and landscaping, as well as a mechanical and electrical equipment yard.

C.W. Driver is the general contractor on the project.

“We were charged with creating an environment that will meet the challenges of the future and continue to provide an excellent educational experience for generations of Flintridge Prep students to come,” said Jared Dowdee, director of operations at Driver SPG (C.W. Driver’s Special Project Group). “Utilizing our experience in education, we aimed to bring to life the school’s vision of providing an environment that equally values ethical, emotional and intellectual development.”

Founded in 1933, Flintridge Preparatory School is a nationally recognized nonsectarian school serving more than 500 students. In honor of recently retired headmaster Peter Bachmann, the board decided to name the new addition the Bachmann Collaboration Building. During his 40-year career at Flintridge Preparatory School, Headmaster Bachmann instilled an environment where students were encouraged to dream big and collaborate often.

“The citizen of the future is going to need to work and learn in different ways than they have in the past,” said Headmaster Bachmann, in a statement. “This new space will facilitate a new kind of teaching and learning, providing students with the ability to collaborate, be creative and learn across departments.”