On Thursday, March 21, 2024, C.W. Driver Companies celebrated the steel topping out at the new Malibu High School project for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in Malibu, CA. This award-winning $110M high school will add 70,000 square feet of classrooms, a library, and an eating area. Before the steel beam was lifted to the highest point of the building, the C.W. Driver Cos. team, students, staff, and elected officials signed the steel beam, marking the commitment to the school and its students.

The $110M phase one encompasses a 70,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building and will feature a library, visual and performing arts classrooms, project-based learning facilities, multipurpose spaces, special education classrooms, STEM classrooms, a campus cafeteria, and administration offices. Construction began in November 2023 and is scheduled for completion ready for in the 2025-26 school year.

The new two-story building will embrace the school’s environmental ethos in its design, with an open breezeway between concrete and copper-clad walls inspired by the native landscape. Outdoor common space for the school’s students will be partially shaded by an overhead canopy with built-in photovoltaic panels that will generate power for the school and contribute to the campus’ energy conservation.

“We are thrilled with our team’s progress over the past four months,” said Brent Hughes, COO of C.W. Driver Companies. “Because of our extensive experience with over 150 K-12 projects for over 23 different school districts, we understand what it takes to safely construct educational facilities on-time for our clients. We look forward to providing Santa Monica-Malibu USD with this space to invest in student success for many years to come.”