Project Overview
The San Leandro Unified School District Office is a new single-story, steel-framed administrative building designed to serve as the operational heart of the district. The facility includes administration offices, conference rooms, and open office areas enhanced by clerestory windows that bring natural light deep into the workspace.
Location: San Leandro, CA
Architect: Brokaw Design
General Contractor: JL Construction
Scope: Single-story, steel-framed administrative hub featuring clerestory ceiling offices and collaborative workspaces.
Advancing Modular Thinking in Educational Facilities With Purpose-Built, Panelized Structures
The project is distinguished by its panelized structural system, which blends partially site-built framing with a roof system delivered in prefabricated panels. This method required a high level of upfront coordination to ensure that off-site fabricated components integrated seamlessly with on-site construction, while still meeting the heightened safety and performance standards required for school facilities.
This builds on ISE Structural Engineers’ deep experience with modular construction for educational facilities. Drawing on successful precedents from school district projects such as the Salinas Unified School District and Tokay High School projects, ISE has consistently delivered DSA-compliant structures that balance constructability, seismic performance, and architectural intent – an approach further detailed in this related article on How Structural Engineering Companies Ensure the Safety of Public Education Buildings in California.
Engineering Challenges
The building’s architectural design introduced several structural complexities that required careful engineering consideration. The clerestory framing, integrated into a modular panelized roof system, involved multiple roof elevations, long structural bays, and transitions between framing zones. These conditions were further complicated by unique soffit detailing and the presence of both interior and exterior storefront systems.
From a seismic perspective, one of the most significant challenges involved lateral load transfer across different roof framing boundaries. Continuous HSS columns were used to meet the architectural intent to span these transitions, raising critical questions about how earthquake-induced drag loads could be effectively transferred across changing structural systems without compromising performance or violating DSA requirements.
How the ISE Team Addressed the Challenges
The ISE team responded with highly specific, purpose-driven detailing and close coordination with the architect to balance design intent with what could be structurally justified and approved by the Division of the State Architect (DSA). Advanced 3D modeling was used to visualize and design the clerestory support systems and to clearly define load paths through the panelized and site-built elements.
Continuous HSS columns span multiple roof framing zones, with engineered connections designed to transfer seismic drag loads across structural boundaries while maintaining a continuous and reliable lateral load path.
To resolve the lateral load transfer at roof transitions, the team developed custom column and gusset plate detailing to accommodate bending demands and ensure reliable drag load transfer through the continuous HSS columns. These conditions were validated through detailed structural calculations and RISA modeling, providing the analytical support necessary for DSA review and approval.
Project Benefits & Outcomes
For the San Leandro Unified School District, the new district office serves as the central hub of operations, making the quality of the work environment especially important. The completed building delivers a light, airy, and communal workspace that supports collaboration and enhances daily administrative functions—benefiting not just staff, but the broader school system it serves.
Clerestory windows and open office planning fill the interior with natural light, creating a bright, airy, and collaborative work environment at the heart of the district office.
For the architect and builder, ISE Structural Engineers successfully preserved the architectural vision while delivering a cost-effective, constructible structural solution. The panelized roof system improved installation efficiency and contributed to a faster construction process, reducing complexity in the field while maintaining high standards of safety and performance.