New High School in Bakersfield to Open Next Year

The $60-million Frontier High was designed by a joint venture of Ordiz-Melby Architects Inc. and Renfro & Cuningham Inc. The construction manager of the 200,000-sq.-ft. project is Colombo Construction Co.

By Greg Aragon

Kern County's newest high school sped to the 50-percent completion mark last month and is heading for an opening in August 2006.

Photo by Greg Aragon

Tom Reid, vice president of operations for Bakersfield-based Colombo Construction Co., the project's construction manager, said his team is facing a tight design and construction schedule on the new Frontier High School. "Because of the area's growth, [the district] is building this high school in three years, from inception of design to student occupancy."

As principal in charge of the project, Reid said it would probably normally take about four years to build a school like this on an average schedule, "but on this project, we pushed a little harder to get it done."

Located in northwest Bakersfield, the $60-million Frontier High School will be the district's newest school since Golden Valley High (also a Colombo project) opened in 2003. Besides Frontier, the district currently has two high schools in design that are scheduled to open in 2008.

The 200,000-sq.-ft. Frontier High, which was designed by a joint venture between Ordiz-Melby Architects Inc. and Renfro & Cuningham Inc., both of Bakersfield, sits in the middle of a residential neighborhood, at the corner of Allen and Kratzmeyer roads.

Danny Ordiz, principal with Ordiz-Melby, said that the single-story school's location was taken into consideration during design.

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"[Frontier] is all wood-framed, with gable roofs, so it doesn't dominate the area," he said. "Its forms and shapes conform to the residential feel of the surrounding area. It's more of a suburban school, [with] a rural kind of feel as opposed to an urban, multi-story concrete feel."

Situated on a flat 50-acre site, which was previously an almond grove, the L-shaped school will accommodate 2,200 students when it opens. Highlights of the 15-building project include a 34,000-sq.-ft. gymnasium; 24,000-sq.-ft. performing arts building; and 26,000-sq.-ft. cafeteria. There will be 79 classrooms.

And like many high schools, a signature color theme will run throughout the architecture.

"The usage of colors helps build a tradition and history in the school," said Don Renfro, principal architect with Renfro & Cuningham. He said that the three-color scheme of blue, black and white will appear prominently throughout the exterior plaster, as well as in ceramic tile, painting and wall coverings.

Construction on Frontier High School broke ground in January, and early last month about 60 subcontractors and 220 workers were busy with paint finishes, flooring, cabinetry and interiors.