Community School of Music and Art
Mountain View, California
The new Finn Center provides practice rooms, studios, a recital hall and administrative space for this community arts organization. Given the small site, the building was planned around a series of outdoor courtyards. The entry courtyard is planted with a grove of flowering redbud trees and offers a welcoming entry to the facility. The main courtyard provides an activity area for the students and a place for outdoor concerts. The courtyard is planted with flowering pear trees and a specimen oak. A smaller rear courtyard, enclosed by vine covered walls, is used as a play area by the younger students. A simple palette of plant materials was used to complement the architectural character of the building.
The project received an Excellence in Design Award from the San Francisco Chapter of the AIA in 2004.