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Architects: Turnbull Griffin Haesloop
- Area: 7550 ft²
- Year: 2009
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Photographs:David Wakely
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Manufacturers: AEP Span, Big Ass Fans, Lutron, USG, American Hydrotech, Environ Biocomposites, Icynene, Lochinvar, Novawall, Plyboo, Renlita USA, SCOFIELD, Warmboard, WattStopper
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Landscape Architect: Sasaki, Christian Lemon
Text description provided by the architects. The Branson School is an independent high school that occupies seventeen acres of hilly terrain in a residential community just north of San Francisco. The new 7,550sf Student Commons building is located in a narrow glen in the center of the campus, along the pedestrian path between the upper and lower campuses. By providing spaces for gathering and socializing throughout the day, the student center serves as the heart of campus activity. Sited to take advantage of the sunny southern exposure, the new building features large overhead doors that open onto a generous plaza for dining, meeting and outdoor learning. The central gable and large window wall front onto an inviting terrace and lawn while the flanking support wings, sheltered under green roofs, connect to the adjacent hillsides with board-form concrete walls.

