Located adjacent to the existing upper school, the new 25,000 square foot performing arts center was designed to highlight King School’s commitment to providing progressive education grounded in the traditional disciplines of the arts and sciences. The guiding principle for the architectural design was to balance the scale and program with the existing campus and surrounding single-family residential context. The solution was to place the theater space and stage tower in a central location and screen them with lower surrounding building elements to minimize perceived size. The façades are all residentially scaled and detailed with horizontal siding materials to connect the new facility with the overall campus and the neighborhood. A state-of-the art 450-seat theater can accommodate large events yet feels intimate enough for smaller productions. Support spaces, including music practice rooms, rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, set construction, storage, and offices surround the theater. Natural light from a large skylight spills into the foyer, which was designed with the flexibility to function as the main entry, gallery space, and a connection between the theater and practice wing. The building incorporates environmentally responsible design strategies including building orientation, natural daylighting, shading and management of solar heat gain.