CBJ Preschool and Religious School Renovation
Congregation Beth Jacob’s existing preschool and religious school building occupies an uncommonly large and wooded site. Its existing classrooms, over 6 decades old, are outdated and have limited access to the outdoors. HCLA’s Master Plan for the campus includes a re-imagining of these classrooms as indoor-outdoor experiential learning spaces, deeply connected to the natural environment, a newly landscaped garden, raised planting beds, an outdoor amphitheater/chapel, new nature-based play spaces and spaces to gather, play and discover under the canopy of a private redwood grove.
Existing ground floor classrooms accessed through a dark, double-loaded corridor, are enlarged and given in-classroom restrooms, diaper-changing stations and teacher work areas by eliminating the corridor and accessing classrooms directly through a shared garden.
Classrooms are accessed through a secured and welcoming garden path.
Play structures and features for preschoolers include stepping logs, climbing structures built out of recycled wood a trike circuit and spaces to explore below the redwoods.
The reimagined garden includes a sunken amphitheater for preschoolers and the religious school during the week and as a sacred space for religious services on Friday nights and Saturday mornings and holidays.
