2026
Curtis School · Los Angeles, California

Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center - CLIC








OVERVIEW
The Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center (CLIC) is a new academic building designed to support Curtis School’s longstanding commitment to forwardthinking elementary education. The project brings art, science, and technology together in a purposebuilt environment that encourages collaboration, experimentation, and interdisciplinary learning.

"It is not enough to teach for the now, we have to teach for the future. We know that collaborative learning not only develops higher level thinking skills in students, but boosts their confidence and self-esteem as well"
CLIENT
Curtis School
Independent, coeducational day school serving students from Developmental Kindergarten through Sixth Grade.
PROJECT SCOPE
Building Area: 21,000 SF
Configuration: Two stories with a lower level
Site Context: Located along the existing campus quad in the Santa Monica Mountains
EDUCATIONAL INTENT

CLIC is designed to foster collaborative, project based learning across disciplines and grade levels. The building supports STEAM education while reinforcing Curtis School’s broader educational philosophy: preparing students not only for the present, but for the future through curiosity, confidence, and cooperation.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN APPRROACH

The building is organized into two vertical groupings to reduce perceived scale and ensure compatibility with the existing campus. Varying roof heights and contrasting exterior materials further temper massing and contribute to a contextual architectural expression.
Classroom adjacencies are intentionally planned to encourage crosscurricular engagement and fluid movement between disciplines.
Ground-level night-time shot of the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Two students walking outside at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Two students performing a science experiment in a lab at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Three students walking across the lawn at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

"Interior and exterior materials were thoughtfully selected to reflect the school’s colors and harmonize with the surrounding campus environment."
Color design samples for the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Students learning in a classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty cooking classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty cooking classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty classroom with building and engineering tools at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
PROGRAM
Lower Level
01. Teacher collaboration and planning spaces
02. IT Help Desk Center
03. Multipurpose classroom
04. Skylit Movement Room
05. Materials Bank storage supporting project based curricula
First Level
01. Lower Elementary Science
02. Lower Elementary Art
03. Robotics and Maker Space / Engineering
04. Direct access to outdoor learning courts
Second Level
01. Upper Elementary Science
02. Upper Elementary Art
03. Sixth Grade Science
04. 3D Art and Ceramics Studio
Two students painting with watercolors at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

"The kickoff of the Think Forward campaign is a dream come true for all of us having worked on the Master Plan and thinking of the future of Curtis"
INTEGRATION

Southern California’s climate is leveraged to extend learning beyond the classroom. First floor teaching spaces open directly to adjacent outdoor courts, allowing instruction to move seamlessly between interior and exterior environments.
COLLABORATION

The building was co-designed with Curtis School educators. Faculty input directly informed spatial organization, classroom relationships, and flexibility—ensuring that the architecture supports evolving teaching methods and curricular innovation.
An empty classroom and outside gardens at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Students and faculty walking down an outside staircase at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Outside tables at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

"The building layout gives us an opportunity to re-create the curriculum provided to the kids. There will be an ability to seamlessly flow back and forth between rooms
and disciplines."
Two students painting in a classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty science classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
An empty classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
PROJECT TEAM

Architect: Pica+Sullivan Architects

Structural Engineer: Johnson Leifield Structural Engineers

Civil Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers

Landscape Architect: Carter, Romanek Landscape Architects

Mechanical, Plumbing & Electrical: AlfaTech

Lighting: KGM Architectural Lighting

Waterproofing: Terra-Petra

Geotechnical: Partner Engineering and Science

Surveyor: Surveying & Drafting Services

Acoustical: Chu & Dohn Associates

Hardware: Finish Hardware Technology

Specification: Construction Specifications Service

General Contractor: Matt Construction

Photography: Randall Michelson Photography
Students lined up along an outside staircase at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
Bronze Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal for Educational Project of the Year for the Curtis School Collaborative Learning Innovation Center, Educational Architect Pica + Sullivan Architects, LTD.
An empty woodworking classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.
A student reads a book on the lawn of the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

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