Bishop O’Dowd High School

Oakland, CA
Completed 2022

Established in 1951, Bishop O’Dowd High School is a Catholic college-preparatory institution serving 1,250 students on its hilltop campus in the Toler Heights neighborhood of Oakland.

Studio Bondy was hired by Bishop O’Dowd and Devcon Construction to lead the design for a new arts and athletics center featuring state-of-the-art music and drama rehearsal spaces, expanded athletic training facilities, and multi-purpose learning and gathering spaces. A double gymnasium serves as the new home for Bishop O’Dowd’s championship-winning athletic teams.  It also provides an adaptable space to host community events, with a seating capacity to accommodate the entire student body and members of the broader Oakland Catholic community.

Designed to fit into a sloping site bound on all sides by existing buildings and athletic fields, the new LEED Silver building features expansive outdoor terraces overlooking the baseball field and running track.  The terraces serve as new social gathering spaces for the school community and offer exciting new possibilities for an enhanced athletic spectator experience.

Collaboration: Kevin Hart, Kevin Hart Architecture


Photography: Craig Cozart Photography; Victor Jurgens

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