Expansion for Innovation construction on Cohn is moving forward quickly. Every day brings more exciting changes to Cohn Campus.
The entire building, inside and out, is being refreshed with a new coat of paint, in a striking yet harmonious color palate designed by the architect. The maintenance crew has already repainted the entire side façade facing the playground, adding a cheerful periwinkle accent color to the exterior support beams. On a recent visit, some maintenance crewmembers were hard at work painting the front and side of the building. Others were painting interior walls in shades of olive green, muted periwinkle, white, and light orange.
At the front of campus, work continues on the 1,000 square foot expansion. The front still bears gaps where the façade will be bumped out to make way for the extra square footage. Inside the building, many structural changes have already been made. The upstairs and downstairs libraries have been converted into three classrooms and one office, and sheetrock is already going up to define these new spaces.
Work on the media hub is also proceeding rapidly. Pipes have been moved, windows have been framed, and sheetrock is going up. The neon lighting in the downstairs teacher’s lab is being replaced by stylish new string lighting, creating a gentler, more appealing atmosphere for our teachers to work in. All the old tiles have been removed from the floors, and the concrete underneath is being polished to create stylish, modern concrete flooring throughout the building.
As part of the Expansion for Innovation construction, several systems in the building are being updated and modernized. The city of Palo Alto constantly updates its building codes, and modernizing a building to comply with the most up-to-date city ordinances is an essential part of any major building renovation. As a result, the electrical system and water delivery system are both being upgraded. At the front of the property, a large red and blue water riser pipe has been installed above ground, to help feed our emergency water supply. ADA accessibility to the building is also being improved.
Director of Finance and Operations François Guèdenet has remained on Cohn Campus throughout the construction project. François is amazed by the changes happening around him, and says, “you can't imagine the amount of work going on, the major changes that are being made. The amount of manpower going in to making these changes is just incredible. Even though some things in the building might look the same, in a major renovation like this, nothing is untouched.”
François is also very proud to report that the contractor and maintenance crew remain right on schedule with their work. INTL* is very excited for our students to return in the fall, when they can begin to take advantage of all the improvements being made to Cohn.
*In 2020, the International School of the Peninsula (ISTP) formally changed its name to Silicon Valley International School (INTL) to better reflect its bilingual programs, location, and international values.
