MILPITAS, CA — Along with the Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD), Blach Construction (Blach) and Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA), as well as community partners, members, and supporters, recently celebrated the completion of Phase Two of the MUSD Innovation Campus. A first-of-its-kind education and workforce development center, the MUSD Innovation Campus is providing future-ready learners with a variety of educational and training opportunities that translate into sustainable careers.
“Completing the second phase of the MUSD Innovation Campus is another important step in enhancing public education in our community — the gateway to Silicon Valley," MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan said. “Not only have Blach and QKA been a pleasure to work with on a day-to-day basis, their Folia solution has more than met our requirements by providing a wide range of flexible learning environments that can evolve over time as needed. They have helped turn this unique concept into reality.”
Erected using Folia, a flexible, durable, prefabricated classroom building solution exclusive only to Blach, QKA, and GPLA Structural Engineers and Builders, this phase of the MUSD Innovation Campus included the construction of two new, L-shaped classroom buildings surrounding a central courtyard. These will serve as a permanent home to Calaveras Hills High School, enabling the alternative school to expand its program offerings. Additionally, an existing building was modernized to provide Career Technical Education lab space for robotics and advanced manufacturing courses.
“Similar to Phase One of this project, our design team was focused on adding other complementary, state-of-the-art, flexible learning environments for MUSD,” QKA President Aaron Jobson said. “Keeping students and staff at the forefront, we were able to leverage our strong partnership with Blach to swiftly and successfully complete this second phase and create a lasting home for Calaveras Hills.”
Phase Two’s new and modernized buildings come on the heels of the first four Folia buildings that were delivered in Phase One of the project. Fully operational since August 2023, the initial buildings house the MUSD District Office, the MUSD Adult School, and the Milpitas High School Extension at the MUSD Innovation Campus. Collectively, all seven buildings feature a variety of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics classrooms and labs, career development spaces, administrative offices and conference rooms, independent study spaces, and multiple indoor and outdoor collaboration areas. Exclusive to Phase Two are a recording studio, an e-sports lab, a flexible space for independent study programs, three science labs, and an art studio.
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Based on the efficiencies and enhanced safety inherent to the prefabricated Folia solution, both phases of the MUSD Innovation Campus were delivered on the occupied campus in just two years, despite record rainfall and supply chain issues. Folia also supports the project’s sustainability goals, which include Collaborative for High Performance Schools certification and renewable power supplied by MUSD’s existing photovoltaic system. Each building includes sustainable materials, energy efficient lighting, all-electric mechanical systems, stormwater catchment, and water-efficient landscaping.
“It is extremely gratifying to have completed two phases of such a significant, community-enhancing project in the span of two years,” said Brad Fannin, Project Executive at Blach. “The dedication and collaboration of our combined project teams were instrumental in overcoming supply chain bottlenecks and a very wet winter. Overall, our joint efforts have resulted in state-of-the-art facilities that MUSD and the Milpitas community will benefit from for years to come.”
Funding for the first two phases of the $90 million, nearly 100,000-square-foot MUSD Innovation Campus was made possible by the 2018 Bond Measure AA and California state-matching grants. With Phases One and Two now complete, MUSD is planning to add a third and final phase, which will include a Workforce Development Center and Early Childhood Education Research Center, achieving the vision for the campus to support Milpitas learners from early childhood through adulthood.
