Laura G. Rodriguez Elementary School, San Diego, is one of San Diego Unified School District's 12 new and three rebuilt schools being constructed with funding from Proposition MM, a $1.51 billion bond measure. The K-5 facility, which accommodates 650 students, was completed in time for the start of the 2007-08 school year.
The school is situated on a 6.5-acre lot and includes seven structural steel-framed buildings with plaster exteriors. The buildings house 32 new classrooms, a multipurpose room, library/media center, cafeteria and administrative spaces. It also features outdoor play areas and sports fields.
Because a severe grade change of about 16 feet split the north and south portions of the land, several massive, tiered masonry retaining walls had to be erected throughout the property. The walls required extremely high-strength mortar and grout because of the amount of pressure placed upon the walls by the higher surface. This required careful watch over quality control to attain the design compressive strengths.
The architect for this project is Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc. (San Diego). McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (San Diego) is the construction manager.
