All We Need Is the Shade of a Palm Tree
Before the recent rebuild, our campus was a patchwork of small bungalows and modular buildings. Charming as they were, they presented challenges for a growing school. Class sizes were limited by room size, technology setups were inconsistent, and repairs demanded constant attention. At times, it felt like we were simply “making things work” rather than making them better.
Recognizing that our facilities deeply influence the student experience, our Board of Directors chose to reinvest in the very heart of campus. After gathering community feedback and finalizing a master plan, we launched a capital campaign. With 80% of the $22 million project pledged, we broke ground and just fourteen months later, on time and on budget, we opened Phase 1 of our campus redesign: a 45,000-square-foot quad complex at the start of the 2022–23 school year.
Our design focused on four priorities:
- Classrooms filled with natural light
- A central gathering space that fosters community
- Specialized learning spaces for science, art, STEM, and faculty collaboration
- A carpool and parking solution that reduces community impact
Cultivating the “Genius Loci”
From the beginning, every design choice was guided by the principle of genius loci, a term from architectural theory meaning “the spirit of a place.” As described by Christian Norberg-Schulz, this concept emphasizes creating spaces that evoke a sense of belonging and well-being. For Santa Fe Christian, that meant designing not just for beauty or efficiency, but for connection and inspiration.
We placed middle school lockers close together to nurture daily community. Middle and high school offices now sit along central pathways, making staff more accessible. Academic support rooms were tucked into quiet corners for focus, while glass-paneled art and STEM labs open fully to outdoor patios for exhibitions and collaborative projects.
At the campus center, The Commons, our new multi-purpose gathering space now serves as a home for worship, performances, and community events. Outside, Adirondack chairs and vine-covered patios invite students and staff to linger, study, and connect under the San Diego sun. A redesigned road system around campus also reduced neighborhood traffic, added nearly 60 new parking spaces, and created a calmer, more secure environment with a single, one-way entry and exit.
To explore the transformation first-hand, visitors are invited to take the Santa Fe Christian virtual tour, which showcases our new spaces and the spirit of our community: Virtual Tour of Santa Fe Christian
Every element was designed to reflect our five core values: Worship, Scholarship, Mentorship, Companionship, and Stewardship, ensuring that our physical spaces embody the mission we live out daily.
Learning Through Experimentation
Not every innovation worked perfectly, and that’s part of the process. We implemented solar energy, expanded EV parking, and tested sliding classroom walls to create flexible learning spaces. While the concept worked beautifully in theory, the reality of sound transfer made it impractical. The retracting wall was replaced with a standard one, a decision that reinforced our commitment to prioritizing quality and functionality over trend.
Each experiment, successful or not, reflected our community’s shared desire to learn, grow, and steward resources faithfully.
The True Heart of a Campus
Our teachers, grounded in faith and devoted to students, define the life of Santa Fe Christian. When passionate educators teach in spaces designed to support and inspire, learning flourishes.
Throughout the construction process, our Head of Schools, Rod Gilbert, often reminded us, “We can teach under the shade of a palm tree.” His words capture the essence of genius loci: the spirit of a place is not ultimately found in bricks and beams but in the daily life of those who dwell there.
As we look ahead to Phase 2, our new K–5 learning space, we do so with gratitude and excitement. The buildings may be new, but the heart of our campus remains the same: a community rooted in faith, learning, and purpose.
Reflections from Peers on Recent Building Projects
As schools across the country embark on their own campus transformations, leaders have found that the journey brings both practical insights and deeper lessons about change and community. A few recently completed projects offer timely reflections:
Kori Hockett, Chief Academic Officer- Wheaton Academy
“The building process draws so much attention and interest from lots of constituents. Thinking through how something “new,” even when it is better, still represents change is important as you lead during this time. I was surprised at how many strong emotions are connected to a school building and the changes that happen there.”
Shonn Brown, Upper School Principal- Charlotte Christian
“If you’re involved in building a new high school, I have one significant piece of advice: involve your teachers and department chairs in the process. They offer invaluable wisdom and insight into practical details that administrators might easily overlook.”
Jared T. Clark- Head of School, Westminster Christian Academy
“Our new Lower School Building, which opened this school year, contains more than 80,000 bricks. Each brick was meticulously placed with great detail and care. As I watched the construction process unfold over several months, I was reminded of how our faculty and staff carefully and intentionally teach, lead, and love our students each day. There are so many similarities between laying bricks and shaping the next generation. The process can be slow and sometimes difficult, but the finished product is beautiful. May the Lord find us faithful as we skillfully and intentionally invest in the lives of our students and create spaces that inspire growth for years to come.”
Chris B. Cleveland- Head of School, Wesleyan School
“There will be moments during any campaign in which the leader will question if the goal can be met. Ultimately, this is exactly where God wants us to find ourselves. While schools should not seek to do something that is unreasonable in size and scope, risking the trust and confidence of its constituents, we should seek to achieve something that is beyond our human capability so that when it is achieved, we can truly express that this could not have been accomplished apart from God’s provision. If we only choose “safe” goals that we know we can accomplish, we run the risk of believing that “we did it” outside of God’s provision. It’s a little scary to put a true reach goal before our communities; however, much is gained from striving for something and telling your families that if we reach this goal, we will know that it is due to God’s divine intervention in our pursuit of furthering the mission of our school, and in the process, of His Kingdom.”
Hannah Park is the Chief Academic Officer at Santa Fe Christian Schools in Solana Beach, California, where she has served in progressively responsible roles for over thirty years. Before becoming Chief Academic Officer in 2022, she led as Lower School Principal for 15 years and has also held positions as a teacher and assistant principal. Under her leadership, Santa Fe Christian’s Elementary School was awarded the National Blue Ribbon distinction for Exemplary High Performing School.
She holds an M.A. in Education Administration and Curriculum Design, California Administration and Teaching credentials, and a B.S. in Public Administration. Hannah is dedicated to developing a school program that nurtures the whole person: mind, heart, and soul, and aims to produce critical thinkers who know their identity in Christ.
Santa Fe Christian Schools sits just a mile and a half from the San Diego coast, where the weather alternates between perfect and even better than yesterday. Perched on a gently terraced 16-acre hillside, the campus tells a story of transformation from resort, to military academy, to the thriving school community it is today.