Build Group self-performed key structural and interior scopes to deliver a next-generation vertical learning environment in the heart of the Mission District

Build Group, a leading vertically integrated builder, today announced the completion of La Scuola International School's new Mission Campus, a four-story, purpose-built educational facility designed to support the school's mission of immersive, globally minded learning. Located in San Francisco's Mission District, the campus brings together modern classrooms, fully equipped teaching kitchens, a rooftop deck for outdoor learning and gathering, and thoughtfully integrated site improvements that connect the school to the surrounding neighborhood.

The project represents a new model for urban education — a vertically organized, purpose-built environment where academic, culinary, and community-focused spaces work together to support flexibility, collaboration, and real-world application. Each element of the campus is designed to enable La Scuola's dynamic, interdisciplinary curriculum and to extend education beyond the classroom into shared spaces that foster connection, creativity, and cultural exchange.

Build Group played a central role in delivering the vision, self-performing key structural and interior scopes to ensure precision execution, schedule control, and consistent craftsmanship throughout the project. The integrated approach enabled tighter coordination across trades and a higher-caliber finish — particularly in the teaching kitchens, rooftop deck, and learning environments where detail and performance are critical.

"La Scuola gave us the chance to build something the city needs more of — a school designed for how students actually learn today. Delivering a four-story vertical campus with integrated teaching kitchens in the heart of the Mission required real craftsmanship and disciplined coordination from every member of the team. By self-performing the structural and interior scopes that matter most, we were able to hold the quality bar where it counts and hand La Scuola a facility that will serve their students and the community for generations." — Nathan Rundel, President of Build Group

"Our new Mission Campus is more than a building — it is a daily expression of what we believe education can be. Our pedagogy follows the Reggio Emilia approach, which is truly unique in its commitment to the environment as the ‘third teacher.’ Every space was designed to actively shape how our students learn — through their hands, their curiosity, and their connection to the world around them." — Valentina Imbeni, Head of School, La Scuola International School

Bringing that philosophy to life required an equally ambitious design — and a builder capable of executing it.

"Our designer, Michele Zini of ZPZ Partners with the support of Jensen Architects, conceived a profoundly complex and singular space, and constructing it demanded a builder who could meet that ambition without compromise. We could not have chosen any other builder but Build Group — they delivered this building to us, and the craftsmanship and partnership behind it, exactly as we envisioned," added Valentina Imbeni, Head of School, La Scuola International School.

A Community Anchor in the Mission District

Beyond its physical footprint, the La Scuola Mission Campus is designed to serve as a community anchor — a place where education extends beyond the classroom and into shared spaces that connect students, families, and the surrounding neighborhood. The project contributes to long-term neighborhood vitality, bringing a modern, active educational presence into one of San Francisco's most culturally vibrant districts and reflecting the broader shift in educational design toward active, adaptable spaces that mirror how students learn and engage in the real world.

Expert Craftsmanship, Delivered by an Integrated Team

The success of the La Scuola Mission Campus reflects deep collaboration across the owner, the design team, and the construction partners who built it. Build Group's combination of preconstruction expertise, self-perform capability, and disciplined execution — alongside the craftsmanship of trade partners including Canning Electric, Pacific Structures, Level 5, Ogden, Iron Mechanical, Wood, Eno Glass, Trimark, Adornment, and Farrel — ensured alignment from concept through completion, with strong schedule performance, controlled costs, and exceptional safety throughout.

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About Build Group

Build Group is a privately held general contractor, construction manager, and design-builder founded in 2007 in the San Francisco Bay Area. With offices throughout California and the Pacific Northwest, we deliver ground-up construction, interior transformations, and specialty projects across the commercial, residential, education, and hospitality sectors. Our self-perform capabilities span structural concrete, shoring and formwork, wood, exterior skin systems, drywall and insulation, flooring, and cabinetry, allowing us to maintain quality and efficiency throughout the entire process. Known for our hands-on expertise, we bring agility, craftsmanship, and a strong commitment to client advocacy to every build — always keeping our clients’ vision at the center. The company has been consistently recognized as an ENR Top Contractor, Fastest Growing Private Company, and Best Place to Work.

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"We could not have chosen any other builder but Build Group — they delivered this building to us, and the craftsmanship and partnership behind it, exactly as we envisioned," added Valentina Imbeni, Head of School, La Scuola International School.