Rosa Parks Elementary School*

Location: Berkeley, CA
Owner: Berkeley Unified School District
Completion: Fall 1997

After Rosa Parks Elementary School was badly damaged in the Loma Prieta Earthquake, a committed neighborhood group determined that the school needed to be replaced. They worked diligently to champion the project through funding cutbacks and gain support for rebuilding this public school that serves 500 students.

The new elementary school was designed with classrooms arranged around courtyards, a multi-purpose room, a Library and a state-of-the-art Science & Technology Education Lab. The campus is a well-balanced series of indoor/outdoor spaces of differing scales, allowing children control and choice about their environment. Sustainable energy efficiency was used in design of the school, exceeding Title 24 requirements by 30 percent. There was extensive community participation in the design phase of this new West Berkeley public school. Kava Massih was also a member of the Capital Campaign Committee that raised over $1 million dollars.

*Completed by Kava Massih prior to establishment of KMA

Awards + Publications
Places Magazine, Winter issue, p. 6–9, Rosa Parks Elementary School. Berkeley, CA (Formerly Columbus Elementary School)