Project Description
Thought to be the only school in the US co-located inside a library, e3 Civic High occupies the sixth and seventh floors of the San Diego Central Library. The school offers project-based learning within flexible learning areas. The school is an integral part of the downtown/East Village fabric of San Diego.
A new and innovative 70,000-square-foot charter high school has the potential to diversify the learning opportunities for all students in San Diego. The co-location of a charter high school within a public library is an unprecedented educational opportunity that offers extensive opportunities for collaboration and engagement, as both organizations support a mission of lifelong learning and literacy. While the primary focus is on the education of the students, LPA provided a new design that reconsiders urban secondary education as a partnered venture between small high schools and community-based organizations. This design demonstrated the mutual benefit of going beyond simply sharing space to sharing a common purpose.