Construction has officially commenced on the new DLR Group-designed Compton High School in California. Designers, dignitaries, school district leaders, staff, students, and community members came together on May 7th to celebrate the groundbreaking.

The 126-year-old school has a rich history, well known for producing music and athletic prodigies. DLR Group’s design celebrates this legacy through a new campus with a dynamic learning environment that aims to elevate education for both students and educators. The design solution is centered around learning suites that foster project-based learning, student exploration, general instruction, and relationship building. In addition, the learning suites will allow for interdepartmental collaboration. They are designed as separate suites that can be linked together with moveable walls that open and close, allowing students and faculty to customize their spaces to support a variety of learning activities.

“This school represents yet another significant step forward in Compton Unified’s efforts to elevate student success and ensure that our schools are providing relevant, future-oriented classes and activities,” said Compton Board of Trustees President Micah Ali. “I am thankful for our construction partners who are bringing the absolutely best in facility design and construction for our Compton scholars."

The school is organized around what is dubbed the Academic Boulevard, a grand diagonal pedestrian pathway that connects to Compton’s existing civic core. The boulevard links the community’s civic center to the northeast of the campus and to a public park and regional bikeway to the southwest, inviting the community into the school.

Each end of the boulevard is anchored by significant civic and educational programs such as a new state-of-the-art performing arts complex on the southwest corner. Compton native and legendary producer and entrepreneur Andre Young, or “Dr. Dre,” gave $10 million towards the performing art center, which will be named the “Andre ‘Dr. Dre’ Young Performing Arts Center.” On the opposite end of the axis, there will be new fitness and athletic venues, including facilities for football, baseball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and more. 

“DLR Group’s design provides various applied learning environments to engage students in real-world experiences. Learning will be on full display," said DLR Group Senior Design Leader Alenoush Aghajanians.

“Instructional spaces that open to commons areas, gallery spaces, and to the Academic Boulevard will spark interest and curiosity about what’s happening at the new Compton High School,” added Aghajanians.

The new campus is expected to open for the 2024–25 academic year.

Video via DLR Group on YouTube