Today marked an exciting milestone in Oakland, California: the grand opening of the new South Campus at Head-Royce School. The event marked the completion of the first phase of the school’s long-range master plan, designed by SOM to unify and expand the historic campus.

Years in the making, the project transforms three historic academic buildings into modern learning environments, introduces new spaces for science, technology, and the arts, and creates a landscape that embraces outdoor learning as an extension of the classroom.

Inside Josiah Royce Hall, Dewey Hall, and the Lee Family STEM Center, SOM’s adaptive reuse strategy preserves the Spanish Colonial Revival facades while reimagining the interiors with flexible layouts, seismic upgrades, and vibrant spaces for collaboration. Outdoor gardens, commons, and a central amphitheater weave the campus together, fostering a stronger sense of community and connection to nature.

The South Campus reflects a decade-long, collaborative planning process involving faculty, alumni, students, families, neighbors, and the City of Oakland. The result is a campus that honors Head-Royce’s legacy while advancing a sustainable, 21st-century vision for education.