Ralph Allen & Partners
520 North Main, #200, Santa Ana, CA 92701
www.rap-architects.com

LOCATION: Santa Ana, California 
Date Bid: Sep 2003
Construction Period: Nov 2003 to July 2005
Total Square Feet: 69,864
Site: — Number of Buildings: Four.
Building Size: First floor, 42,693; second floor, 27,171; total, 69,864 square feet. 
Building Height: First floor to second floor, 13’; total, 33'. 
Basic Construction Type: New/V-1Hr. 
Foundation: Cast-in-place, pier & grade beam, reinforced, slab-on-grade. 
Exterior Walls: Wood stud, stucco. Roof: Metal, built-up. 
Floors: Concrete. Interior Walls: Wood stud drywall.


STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Thorton Tomasetti Group - 2415 Campus Drive, #110, Irvine, CA 92612
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: F. T. Andrews, Inc. - 831 South Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Larry Mullen Associates - 1200 North Jefferson, #D, Anaheim, CA 92807

Located on a linear 9.3 acre site this new Elementary School opened in 2005 with a designed capacity of 1,200 students. Four buildings make up the campus. The administration building includes both administration staff and teacher spaces located at the campus entry. 

Connected to the administration building by a covered breeze way is the multi-purpose/library building that includes a full service kitchen with access to both the multi-purpose room and the covered outdoor eating area. The multi-purpose room platform stage can be used for both indoor and outdoor use through the use of a roll-up exterior wall. Library services are located between the main entry breeze way and the multi-purpose room for ease of identification, access and possible community use.

Two separate two-story classroom buildings are located behind the administration building with the first slightly modified plan providing first level kindergarten rooms with direct access to a separate play area. Each level of classrooms is arranged in a pod like plan of six, providing shared flexible teacher work rooms. Two pods on each floor creates a breeze way connection providing 24 classrooms per building. The two classroom buildings are separated with adequate space to provide for an anticipated addition of a 12 classroom single story building which will add roof top parking for additional staff if growth projections continue. Currently this space is used for surface parking.

Low sloping copper clad metal roofs provide positive screening from the major streets of the multi-unit HVAC equipment located in roof top wells. The vertical elements are cast-in-place concrete cylinders housing elevators and their equipment for each two-story building. Steel frames create the exterior upper floor walkways and perimeter exit stairs while the main stairs are concrete, integral to the elevator towers. Extensive use of wood framing, batt insulation and exterior plaster finishes kept costs down while limited use of simple steel framed double glazed windows help with keeping heat gain under control.

Named for local war hero and business success story, Manuel Esqueda the school's namesake, was very influential in the details of the school until his untimely passing one week before the planned opening. The bittersweet ceremony marking the opening was one of remembrance of a true roll model's life and of a bright future for the young students who would be his benefactors for years to come.


DIV. 7: Built-up: Johns Manville; Metal: AEP Span. 
DIV. 8: Windows: Security.
DIV. 9: Carpet: Lees; VCT: Armstrong; Base: Burke. 
DIV. 16: Lighting: Prudential.