Cajon High School Future Design
Educational Merit Award
American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Chapter
The Recognition
The future design of Cajon High School was honored with the 2022 Educational Merit Award in the Next LA Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Los Angeles Chapter – the first Inland Empire school project to win this distinction. The Next LA Design Awards are a program of the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) and recognize the best and most innovative unbuilt or not-yet-completed projects by architects and designers. The school’s future design celebrates innovation, sustainability and educational impact.
The social life of education sets a dynamic agenda for Cajon High School. With a unifying roof, oval pods, strategically shaped library, and multipurpose social space dubbed “Cowboy Canyon,” this design fuses support services for students’ needs with student life’s social and academic aspects. At Cajon High School, education is social.
Cajon High School’s design redefines what education can be – where learning, wellness and sustainability meet to create a holistic educational experience.
Behind the Design
- A unifying roof connects interior and exterior experiences
- Oval pods for classrooms and a library designed for equitable access and participation
- A flexible hub called Cowboy Canyon designed for science fairs, robotics, yoga, mobile clinics, and student collaboration
- Jurors highlighted Cajon High School’s “innovative layout with soft and inviting edges and strong inside–outside connection,” noting its ability to redefine how students learn and connect
Learn more at Learning By Design Magazine or AIA Los Angeles.