This auditorium at Mission Hill Middle School in Santa Cruz is in a Spanish Colonial style building originally designed by Architect John Donovan.

We often take inspiration from the Architect Carlos Scarpa's approach to interventions in historic places. This auditorium had suffered through various insensitive renovations over the decades. Because of budget and other exigencies of client needs, it would not be possible to do a true historic preservation of this facility. It is a living and always in use part of the school. our approach consisted of preserving as much as possible of the space, while providing it with modern upgrades that are intended to be sensitive to the original Architect's (John Donovan) intent.

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This project represents Bartos Architecture (Mark Bartos, Architect) careful "surgical" approach to school facility interventions. The design of a project such as this starts in conversations with the site users and usually school principals and those who are familiar with the space and its needs. We work hard to draw out the essential nature of the space and then navigate through the various complexities of administrative politics and goals, state agency requirements, budgets and school schedules. Designs are never perfect or optimal and all facilities if used will always be "under design" when a client concientiously cares for their facilities. For us and our part in the process, our design "process" is not complete until construction is complete.

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This "Project" was done over various "phases" and required strong advocacy from the site users and principals to accomplish. As of 2024, there is still a long way to go to fully update this Auditorium. Over the course of a few years, the wood floor was preserved and refinished, the ceiling replaced, exposed ceiling beams refinished and new modern lighting installed. During a 2023 renovation, the walls were replaced with new acoustic wall finishes, and new operable windows and electric roller shades. The real credit must go to the school site principals for their advocacy to preserve and update this important and historic room.