IRVINE, Calif.—C.W. Driver Companies, which has been a construction mainstay throughout California for over a century, recently completed constructing the $58 million Solis Park K-8 School for the Irvine Unified School District. As designed by PJHM Architects, Inc., the Solis Park campus encompasses 108,000 square feet of educational space across seven buildings that include a childcare facility.

In addition to the childcare areas, Solis Park contains a commissary, design labs, special instruction rooms, science-and-art courtyard, fitness center and indoor gym. Additionally, a modern innovation lab will provide learning experiences in video production, robotics and engineering.

PJHM’s design is meant to encourage collaboration, innovation as well as discovery. The architect worked with personnel from C.W. Driver to ensure the school adhered to criteria set out by the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS), meant to increase an educational edifice’s energy efficiency and utilize the safest construction materials possible.

The school is now hosting students from kindergarten through 5th grade. Students in 6th through 8th grades will be moving into the Orange County campus soon.

“We have a strong passion for building schools at C.W. Driver knowing that our work will provide children a safe and modern place to learn for many years to come,” Tom Jones, project executive at C.W. Driver Companies, said of the completion.

In a subsequent statement emailed to School Construction News, Jonathan Keene, senior project manager at C.W. Driver, said that one of the largest challenges of the construction was the exterior building finishes and site work that had to blend together in one continuous school design.

“The finishes included exterior metal panel systems, aluminum wood planks assemblies, plaster, exterior bi-fold aluminum doors, a dynamic paint scheme, and five different types of flatwork finishes,” said Keene. “With so much going on concurrently at all seven buildings, the amount of coordination amongst the trades, procurement of different materials, and simultaneously holding to a high level of quality control made for a unique challenge not faced with many other K-8 campus builds.”

Furthermore, Keene and his team had to contend with such other logistical challenges as building out a 40-foot clock tower, covered walkways as well as a new photovoltaic system installed in both of Solis Park’s parking lots.

C.W. Driver’s portfolio of Golden State school construction work also includes Chino Valley USD’s K-8 The Preserve II School, as well as work as such other campuses as Granada Hills Charter’s TK-8 School Facility, Menifee USD’s Menifee Valley Middle School, San Diego USD’s Nipaquay Elementary School and Grossmont UHSD’s El Capitan High School Events Center.

The company says it has successfully delivered more than 150 K-12 projects in its century of business, and is ranked by Engineering News Record as among the Top 150 General Contractors and Top 100 Construction Managers. They operate from California offices in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Rancho Cucamonga, San Diego and Carlsbad.

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IRVINE, Calif.—C.W. Driver Companies recently commenced ground up construction on Solis Park School, a new K-8 school in Irvine Unified School District (IUSD). Located within District 5 of the Great Park Neighborhoods, Solis Park School will serve approximately 1,000 students in the new community of Rise, as well as future communities located within the Heritage Fields development near the Great Park.

C.W. Driver Companies is partnering with PJHM Architects, Inc. on the project; it’s slated to be completed in time for the 2022-2023 school year.

Spanning seven buildings and 103,000 square feet, Solis Park School will feature a full-court gymnasium, an admin building, a multipurpose room, labs, classrooms, a commissary and a parking lot. A permanent childcare facility will also be incorporated for faculty and staff. The new project is one of many IUSD schools built by C.W. Driver Companies, including two Great Park Neighborhoods schools, Portola High School and Cadence Elementary School, among others.

“A long-term partner of IUSD, with a shared commitment to excellence, C.W. Driver Companies is honored to help introduce a new K-8 school in the Great Park Neighborhoods to support the area’s growing community of students, families and educators,” said Tom Jones, project executive, C.W. Driver Companies. “Featuring modern technology, flexible education spaces and myriad collaboration and learning areas, Solis Park School will support IUSD’s mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students through high-quality education.”

Solis Park School will be designed to meet criteria developed by the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS), the United States’ first green building rating program for K-12 schools. CHPS helps maximize the well-being and performance of students through education facilities that are healthy, energy-efficient and aligned with modern learning.

“With the support of C.W. Driver Companies, a partner whom we’ve trusted and collaborated with for more than 10 years, we’re confident that Solis Park School will become a state-of-the-art learning environment that encourages students to learn, grow and thrive for generations to come,” said John Fogarty, IUSD Assistant Superintendent, Business Services.

Located in Orange County, IUSD comprises a diverse population of 36,000 K-12 students in one early childhood learning center, 24 elementary schools, four K-8 schools, six middle schools, five high schools and one alternative high school. Since becoming a school district in 1972, IUSD schools have been nationally recognized for comprehensive programs in academics, the arts and athletics.

Additional C.W. Driver Companies projects for IUSD include Woodbridge High School Performing Arts Complex; Springbrook Elementary School; Westpark Elementary School; Woodbury Elementary School; Portola High School and Brywood Elementary School, among others. The firm’s Southern California-based K-12 projects in progress include Measure G Modernizations for Country Springs Elementary School; Rolling Ridge Elementary School; Canyon Hills Jr. High School and Townsend Jr. High School in Chino Valley Unified School District.

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