Sonoma Academy

Site access on a road that didn’t exist was the first of many challenges. This high school campus consists of a main classroom building (17 classrooms/labs), library and adjacent gallery, full-size gymnasium, student lounge, soccer/lacrosse playing fields, outdoor amphitheater, visual arts center, technology/digital arts center, black box theater, administrative offices, conference room and central plaza. The design reflects the county’s agrarian character. Natural day-lighting and cross-ventilation through operable windows are in most classrooms, significantly reducing the energy used. Sonoma County’s first commercial project to undergo the rigors of the Santa Rosa Area Stormwater Program, the pre-existing wetland is integrated into the master plan for the campus. Using permeable paving surfaces where possible, on-site rainwater retention ponds capture and re-discharge rainwater.