Guahan Academy Charter School (GACS) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation established to operate independently from the Guam Public School System. Rolluda Architects was selected to assist them in their predesign and visioning process to achieve the goals important for their new school. The school’s highest priority is to provide safe and culturally responsive spaces for approximately 850 students enrolled in grades K-12. Other goals include collaborative learning spaces for students and collaborative office spaces for GACS leadership staff; digital technology to facilitate interaction with the community; and a school where visitors, faculty, and students from all cultures can connect.

Project challenges include the setting in a hot climate and the school’s proximity to the ocean, which is prone to tropical storms and typhoons. Additionally, the island’s geological location presents limitations for material resources, and a limited number of qualified local general contractors are available to build the project.

During the programming process, information was gathered from local schools and administrative personnel, identifying lessons learned on design functionality, material selection, and preventable construction challenges. Structural systems, materials, and other design elements were selected based on the findings of these early studies.  The Site Analysis and Programming documents established a basis for schematic design.

RAI provided site feasibility studies, visioning/ programming workshops, space planning, conceptual design options, and cost estimating for the purpose of funding and establishing a ballpark figure for construction costs. GACS is currently waiting for funding to proceed to the design phase of the project.