Central Los Angeles Learning Center #1 Elementary School
Submitted by Los Angeles Unified School District
The builders of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles would be happy to know that a quality project has risen from the rubble of the hotel.
The Central Los Angeles Learning Center #1 is the first phase of a K-12 learning center that is being built at the site of the former historic hotel along Wilshire Boulevard.
The school was completed in time for students to attend in September and features its own entrance, administration and academic program.
The school features enough classroom space for 840 students, a parking garage, central plant and athletic facilities.
Planning and building the school required the project team work in phases. Separate and early bid packages were used to demolish the Ambassador Hotel and to regrade the 23-acre site. At the same time, the design and plan check process was ongoing. The K-12 campus was separated into two different plans to allow the K-5 building, parking structure and central plant to start construction as soon as possible.
One of the main challenges of building the school was the need to regrade the original site to make the school integrate with the neighboring streets. The project team used the grade difference to separate the different schools with a series of terraces and stairs.
Project Team
Owner: Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
General Contractor: Hensel Phelps, Irvine
Architect: Gonzalez Goodale Architect, Pasadena
MEP Engineer: TMAD Taylor & Gaines, Culver City
Structural Engineer: Engle Kirk & Sabol, Los Angeles