Webster Academy Addition
Oakland, California

The Webster Academy, an elementary school in Oakland, was originally designed to accommodate up to 400 students from kindergarten to fifth grade. It is currently serving over 1,000 students. The School District’s operational planning called for some of the students to be redirected to other new and/or remodeled schools. However, Webster Academy was still in need of a new cafeteria to accommodate the student population.

murakami/Nelson designed this 10,000 sq. ft. one-story building which includes a student dining hall, a commercial kitchen with cooking and dishwashing facilities, as well as storage spaces, offices, staff bathrooms, an outdoor dining courtyard and landscaping. The sloping roof, simple forms and stucco exterior complement the form and materials of the existing school.