The Phillips Brooks School, a K-5 campus located in Menlo Park, has limited spaces for structure physical education activities and often rely on small grassy areas, and undersized and disconnected hardcourt areas for both PE and play. As the first project in the master plan, CAW Architects has designed the Stan Drake Community Center, which will serve as a gymnasium for PE and sports events, unstructured indoor play, and create a space where the entire school community can gather.
CAW Architects created an open, flexible design that fits the new building into the play, creates a new level grass field, and maintains all existing play areas. The building’s south wall completely opens up, allowing kids to run in and out to support an immersive indoor-outdoor play-based experience. A second building lines the east edge which will house an innovation laboratory and general flex space to support the campus.