Chriss Martinez

Bonita Center for the Arts

"Our overall goal was to provide a flexible space that could serve the diverse needs of a school district that transverse two communities: La Verne and San Dimas," says the facility's current general manager Bill J. Cox. "To this end, the facility was designed with a state-of-the-art infrastructure to accommodate today's AVL technology, as well as looking to the future, which includes fiber optic. Based on educational programming, the center was first and foremost designed to be a first class music hall. Rachlin and Newman Brown Acoustics did a great job of giving us a room that needs very little amplified sound reinforcement. During the facility's inaugural season, we completed 80 public event days [and currently operate at around 180 public event days]." "The theatre has conveniently located support spaces including a rehearsal room, scene shop, dressing rooms, and green room," McMackin says. "Over the audience area are lighting catwalks, a follow spot booth, a balcony rail, side lighting, and torm positions integrated into the room's architecture that provide a multitude of positions for lighting designers. All elevated work areas are provided with fall protection, together with hand and guard rails for belts and suspenders safety. A modular orchestra shell provides an acoustic enclosure for various-size musical ensembles. And we provided infrastructure that will accommodate a future variable-acoustics system." "When funds were secured to build a new center for the arts, the Bonita Unified School District called on our expertise in planning and design," states Michael Rachlin, the architectural firm's founder and principal. "We responded with a building that invites visitors to enter an airy, two-story lobby that accommodates more than 400 people and features an elegant, curved staircase rising to balcony level."