Improving Outdoor Socialization

Like with the elementary schools, architects conducting the site assessments noted significant opportunity for improving outdoor spaces for use in both socialization and instruction. The Newport-Mesa campuses have access to a rich natural environment, parklike settings, and attractive views. These are a significant asset to the district and should be both preserved and optimized in future developments. Considering recent developments during Covid, outdoor spaces also need to be designed to improve flexibility and student supervision. Careful design will allow a level of outdoor redundancy in any potential future pandemic, but also provide a rich landscape for which students can safely interact and build the social skills they will need later in life. For each campus, key socialization areas have been defined for these uses and should be provided with a layering of use and functionality to better serve the students of tomorrow.