Blurring Boundaries:

A K-8 Arts School Re-Design

Creative Arts Charter School in San Francisco, CA

Early Education Project

Led by Ryan Keerns, Fall 2024

Context was a key component of this project. Located amidst Victorian-style homes, iconic parks, and a unique typography, the Creative Arts Charter School is situated in the heart of San Francisco’s Fillmore Distict. Be proposed building design connects to this neighborhood through the curved classroom balconies that closely resemble the iconic Victorian-style Bay windows and takes inspiration from the use of shingles and a bright and monochromatic color facade seen in the Victorian-style homes.

The design was initially inspired by a collage that explores the relationship between square and circle that eventually established a system that brought curvature to a very ordinary, rigid, and orthogonal form. From this, I developed the concept of blurring the boundaries between inside and outside through greater integration with the natural and urban surrounding to create an enchanced experience for the K-8 students and faculty. ‘Blurring’ is not only explored conceptually but also visually translated as seen with the changing floor plate curve radius that produces a gradually increasing overhang sectionally.