John W. Mack Elementary School

The John W. Mack Elementary School is a public elementary school situated on a 2.5-acre site in downtown Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The primary goal of this project was to create a compact, highly efficient and cost-effective elementary school that has a strong civic presence and will serve as a source of restored pride for the neighborhood. The school accommodates up to 1,000 students in 32 classrooms and includes a library, multi-purpose room, administrative offices and dining facility. The library is on the second floor and enclosed in a unique, sculpted form similar in scale to the houses in the surrounding neighborhood. One facade of the library is articulated with a large urban window that faces north. The main entrance to the school is under an overhead roof canopy positioned between the administration offices and the classroom block. There is a secondary public entrance located at the multi-purpose room that allows other residents of the neighborhood to use the school for public gatherings and events. Glazed tile accentuates the window pattern of the classrooms and bright colors identify the library and multi-purpose room.