Complete Restoration and Modernization Takes Home Top K-12 Honor

Santa Rosa, Calif., April 14, 2021 – Alameda Unified School District’s (AUSD) Historic Alameda High School (HAHS), designed by leading Northern California education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA), was recently named the 2020 Best K-12 Education project in Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) annual “Best of the Best” awards. The detailed restoration, seismic retrofit and comprehensive modernization was one of just 20 projects recognized nationally, as well as the only education project in the K-12 space. 

Each year ENR’s editors, along with members of the industry selected as judges, choose 20 outstanding projects to be named the “Best of the Best.” In 2020, more than 900 projects were submitted for the regional awards program, of which 200 were then considered on the national stage. Winning projects represent the highest level of design and construction achievement in regard to teamwork, safety, overcoming challenges, innovation and quality.

“We are honored by this extraordinary opportunity to be recognized at the national level by one of the top authorities in our industry,” said QKA Founding Partner Mark Quattrocchi, FAIA. “It was a highlight of my career to see the Alameda community rally around this project as both a sustainable decision to salvage exceptional architecture and an act of preservation for a valuable piece of community history. I must thank Alameda Unified School District and all of our project team partners for their hard work and collaboration to make this project a reality.”

The 100,000-square-foot HAHS, originally constructed in 1924, is comprised of two neoclassical buildings centrally located near Alameda’s historic downtown. Unveiled and opened in advance of the 2019/2020 academic year, AUSD was able to welcome students back to the campus after a 40 year closure due to seismic safety concerns. The meticulous restoration and seismic retrofitting gave new life to the iconic civic and historical landmark while providing next generation teaching and learning environments, technology and accessibility to serve generations of students to come.

The multi-award-winning project’s selection as ENR’s “Best of the Best” is a highlight among several other top industry awards recognizing the design, historical restoration and functionality of the school’s renovation in the face of the many technical challenges it overcame. Read more about these honors here. 

About Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

QKA provides comprehensive master planning and design services for K-12 and higher education, historic renovation and community facilities in Northern California. With more than $2 billion in projects completed in its 34-year history, QKA’s award-winning portfolio reflects a commitment to design that emphasizes environmental sustainability and community impact. Building Design + Construction has recognized QKA as one of the nation’s top K-12 and BIM (building information modeling) architecture firms. Engineering News-Record has called it one of America’s top design firms. Majority employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), QKA continually lands on the North Bay Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” list. Visit qka.com to learn more.

# # #