The recently completed Kennedy Middle School Administration and Family Center is the combination of an administration building and a welcome center that caters to whole families. Over the past few years, the existing school had been expanded, resulting in a campus configuration where the administration was located internal to the campus making it difficult for visitors to find and creating security concerns with visitors walking through the campus.

The Redwood City School District recognized the diversity of its students and the community it serves. As a way to engage and acknowledge this diversity, the district determined that a one stop welcome center to serve the multi-lingual community would be a win-win solution.

The goal of the project was to create and administration building that acted as a hub for the community, as well as a welcome center and control point for those visiting the campus. The building’s placement succeeded in reorienting the campus and creating an obvious entry while keeping the architecture to a scale complementary to its surroundings.

Now a hub for students, their parents, faculty, and administration, this new front door to the middle school provides flexible spaces that will continue to provide support to local families and students as the District and community evolve.