<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1pTz0k_1Gzicxiq00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1pTz0k_1Gzicxiq00" width="1200" height="675" ></figure>Pinewood will commence its $61.5 million Upper Campus renovation next summer. The renovation will consist of three phases, the last of which will end before the campus reopens for the 2029-30 school year. Throughout the course of the renovation, students will stay on campus. The creation of larger classrooms and specialty spaces, both during and after the construction, will change how students, teachers, and classes interact. Although students and workers will coexist on campus during the renovation, measures are being taken to reduce dust and noise pollution. The construction will be scheduled to outside of class hours as much as possible.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3OwuPK_1Gzicxiq00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3OwuPK_1Gzicxiq00" width="1400" height="749" ><figcaption>The portable classrooms will replace rooms one through nine. (Render courtesy of Pinewood School)</figcaption></figure>President and Head of School Scott Riches said that the new campus is a long time in the making and will elevate Upper Campus more than just aesthetically.“Other than the founding of the school, this will be the most transformative time in the school’s history,” Riches said. “It will enhance the overall Pinewood experience, not only from an academic standpoint, but also by instilling a broader sense of community among the students.”Upper Campus was built in the early 1960s and originally used as a Palo Alto Unified School District elementary school. While the Lower and Middle Campuses were rebuilt, Upper Campus has never received a full-scale renovation. The renovation effort was funded by donations from the Pinewood community. The project will consist of three phases.Phase 1Construction will begin in the summer of 2027 with a new parking lot, the demolition of rooms one through nine, and the temporary construction of a group of portable classrooms at the far end of campus where lessons will be held for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years. All construction for the first phase will take place in the summer before the 2027-28 school year begins. Phase 2The second phase will begin in the summer of 2028, with a demolition of the campus to prepare for the construction of new facilities.During demolition, trees bordering the Turkey trail will be cut down for classroom space, but the Turkey itself will remain unchanged. An updated driveway will be behind the current theater. All portable classrooms and offices will be on the southwest end of campus in a space called The Grove.Phase 3New buildings will include an expanded second story, eight new classrooms for a total of 32, a Student Hub, cafeteria, Maker Space, media lab, a gym with a weight room, and a theater with two rehearsal rooms and a dance studio. “We’ll have a full-service kitchen where the food is made on site,” Riches said. “We’re hoping to have a salad bar and a grab-and-go type option, and then multiple entree options.”Performing Arts Department Head Katie Linza is also excited for the new opportunities that the renovations will give extracurricular activities.“We get to retain flexibility and intimacy, even in a bigger space, which is a dream come true,” Linza said.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3e3b0I_1Gzicxiq00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3e3b0I_1Gzicxiq00" width="1920" height="1080" ><figcaption>The renovated Upper Campus will have increased outdoor space. (Render courtesy of Pinewood School)</figcaption></figure>During the main construction in the 2028-29 school year, all classes will be held in portable classrooms on the southwest side of campus. Theater, choir, and dance rehearsals will be held either off-campus at a designated facility or in remaining classrooms on campus. Sports practices will also take place off campus.The final phase will finish in the summer of 2029, with construction wrapping up so students can return to campus for the 2029-30 school year. Seventh grader Aadiran Prabhakaran, who will be a sophomore when the new campus opens, is looking forward to experiencing The Grove and finishing high school in a brand-new environment.“I’m excited because the classrooms will be new, and the campus won’t feel so old anymore,” Prabhakaran said.</div></body>

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Pinewood will commence its $61.5 million Upper Campus renovation next summer. The renovation will consist of three phases, the last of which will end before the campus reopens for the 2029-30 school year. Throughout the course of the renovation, students will stay on campus. The creation of larger classrooms and...

Upper Campus Prepares for Historic Renovation

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Pinewood will commence its $61.5 million Upper Campus renovation next summer. The renovation will consist of three phases, the last of which will end befor

Upper Campus Prepares for Historic Renovation

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