COLF’s permanent home in 112 Alicia Street, San Juan City is set to be a six-storey building located in a 2,359 sqm lot. We interviewed Teacher Feny and were shown the architectural plans made by Architect Wansi Oliveros. Arch. Wansi studied in COL from Lower School to High School (Batch 2000) and then graduated from U.P. with his BS Architecture degree.
There is a driveway surrounding the six-storey building (think of a drive-thru to the parallel street – A. Juan St.) with a parking lot on three sides of the building. There is very much to look forward to when it is completed in the near future: from the revival of the iconic canteen and a large playground for the youngest students to new additions such as a two-level School Library, the COLF Theater, a much larger gym with a lap pool. Besides the stairs, there will be ramps that reach all the way to the fifth floor. There will be an elevator for additional PWD access to the higher floors.
The Lower ground floor is a much bigger version of our current “courtyard” – a spacious covered play/activity area where all age groups can converge while waiting to be fetched. This is also where Community Days and Section Assemblies will be held.
Wide steps from this area lead to the next level, the Upper Ground floor and the one and only “Canteen” that will surely be occupied by students during their lunch and snack breaks and after dismissal. Along one side of the Upper Ground Floor there are two kitchens: the school kitchen and a teaching kitchen for culinary classes. The SEPAD Sweet and Savory Shop and Laundry Shop will be located here.
Upon entry into the building from Alicia Street on the Upper Ground floor, there will be a lobby. On the right side is the School Office and Admin Staff’s workspace, the School Clinic. Across will be a Workshop/Meeting room and a Bookstore.
Up the ramp is the second storey where the classrooms for the Lower to the younger Middle school classes are located, each with their own bathrooms. There is a large Play deck for the Lower and younger Middle School classes on the same floor. A Daycare room, a small kitchen and the lower level of a much bigger School library complete the facilities on the second floor.
The third storey is for the older, full-day Middle School classes to Upper school classes. There will also be one Music room and a smaller Movement Room, a Math and Science Lab, and the second level of the more extensive and spacious library. Unlike in the current restrooms, the large sinks are located in between the boys’ toilet and the girls’ toilet. The fourth storey is for all the secondary programs and high school classrooms. A larger Science lab and a large workshop room or “Makers’ Space” (for Arts and Design, STEM tracks) lead to a garden on the balcony overlooking Alicia St.
Something new, as previously mentioned, is the Theater on the fifth level with its backstage connecting to the Dance Room. On this floor is also the larger Music room and Video/Music Recording Studio, multi-media editing facilities. The Teachers’ library and Resource center will be on this floor as well.
On the sixth floor is the expansive gym. There will be bleachers facing the basketball court, a running track across the length of the entire floor, and a lap pool on the opposite side.
To summarize, Bgy. COL will move forward functioning comfortably in spaciousness, with new additions to explore such our very own theater, a two-level library, and the pool. Students will gather in the covered courtyard and canteen during breaks and dismissal. We may roam around as freely as they did in the expanse of what has casually been called the “big school” in the past. And that will also now be a reality in the near future.
One extra special feature of making this dream come true is the fact that from its inception and design stage it is a collaboration among COL co-founders and teachers, with parents and alumni. Construction has begun and more help is certainly needed and will be very welcome according to COL Director, Teacher Feny.
By Sami de los Angeles