Author Archives: Maia Wakefield

Designing Tomorrow: How San Diego’s NewSchool Architects are Redefining Education

If you’ve ever walked into a traditional classroom and felt like the cinderblock walls and fluorescent lights were actively draining your creativity, you aren’t alone. Education is evolving rapidly, but the physical spaces where students learn have largely remained stuck in the past.

That is, until now.

In a fascinating piece published today in the San Diego Union-Tribune titled San Diego’s future architects designed a school. Here’s why it might be a glimpse of the future, we get a front-row seat to what the next generation of learning environments will look like. And at the center of this architectural revolution are the brilliant, rising minds from San Diego’s own NewSchool of Architecture & Design.

The NewSchool Advantage: More Than Just Blueprints

It’s no surprise that students and alumni from NewSchool are leading the charge on this. Located right in the heart of East Village, NewSchool has long been known as an “idea factory” that pushes its students beyond traditional design. They aren’t just taught to draw blueprints; they are trained to solve complex urban, social, and environmental issues through spatial design.

By focusing heavily on human-centric architecture and urban revitalization, NewSchool equips its future architects to ask the right questions: How does this space make a student feel? How does it interact with the surrounding community? How can it adapt over the next 50 years?

A Glimpse into the “School of the Future”

According to the concepts highlighted in the article, the NewSchool visionaries are throwing out the old playbook. Here is what we can expect from these futuristic learning hubs:

Hyper-Adaptability: Gone are the days of rows of rigid desks. The designs emphasize modular spaces with moveable walls and multi-purpose zones. A room that serves as a quiet reading nook in the morning can easily transition into a collaborative maker-space by the afternoon.

Neuro-Inclusive Design: Recognizing that every brain learns differently, these upcoming architects are prioritizing sensory-friendly zones. This means incorporating natural lighting, acoustic dampening materials, and visually calming palettes to help reduce cognitive overload and support neurodivergent students.

Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Flow: Taking full advantage of San Diego’s climate, the boundary between the classroom and nature is blurred. Outdoor learning terraces and integrated green spaces aren’t just for recess—they are active extensions of the academic environment designed to boost mental health and focus.

Deep Community Integration: Instead of fortress-like campuses closed off from the neighborhood, the designs conceptualize schools as active community hubs. Shared spaces, like auditoriums and community gardens, invite the public in, making the school a vibrant, integral part of the local civic fabric.

Building What Matters

The architectural paradigms of the 20th century were built for industrial efficiency; the designs of the future must be built for human flourishing. The Union-Tribune piece proves that San Diego is fostering the exact kind of talent needed to make this shift. By empowering its students to rethink the very foundation of where we learn, the NewSchool of Architecture & Design isn’t just predicting the future of education—they are actively building it.

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Read the full inspiration behind this post at the San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego’s future architects designed a school. Here’s why it might be a glimpse of the future.

Building a community is about more than steel and stone. It is about creating spaces where people can connect, shop, and feel a sense of belonging. That vision is coming to life in Beaumont, where Regency Centers recently broke ground on Oak Valley Village, a 230,000-square-foot retail development designed to serve a growing community.

Among those celebrating this milestone was Jena Farrell, a proud alumna of NewSchool of Architecture & Design. Her presence reflects the meaningful role NewSchool graduates continue to play in shaping communities beyond the classroom.

A New Retail Destination for a Growing Community

Located at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Oak Valley Parkway, Oak Valley Village is positioned to become a central gathering place for the Inland Empire.

The development will be anchored by Target and Sprouts Farmers Market. These well-known retailers will bring everyday essentials, wellness-focused options, and convenient shopping closer to home. Together with additional retail and dining spaces, the center is designed to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population.

With more than 96,000 residents living within a five-mile radius, the project responds to a clear need for accessible services and community-centered spaces.

A Shared Effort to Support Beaumont’s Growth

Projects like Oak Valley Village come to life through collaboration. Leaders from the City of Beaumont, including Mayor Mike Lara, Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Voigt, and City Manager Elizabeth Gibbs, worked alongside Regency Centers to help move this vision forward.

The groundbreaking ceremony reflected the community’s excitement and pride. A performance by the Beaumont High School Marching Band brought people together and marked the beginning of something meaningful for the city.

Looking Ahead

Construction is now underway, with the opening of anchor tenants anticipated in the second half of 2027. Once complete, Oak Valley Village will include:

• A 148,000-square-foot Target
• A 23,000-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market
• More than 34,000 square feet of retail and dining space

The center is expected to become a welcoming place where residents can gather, run daily errands, and spend time together.

From Education to Impact

For NewSchool, moments like this speak to something larger. They reflect how students grow into professionals who contribute thoughtfully to the communities around them. Projects like Oak Valley Village show how design and development can support not just economic growth, but also everyday connection and quality of life.

For more updates on this project and other retail developments, follow Regency Centers on LinkedIn.