The two- and three-story U-shaped building surrounds the central campus green. Three distinctive materials created a building skin that is both classic and edgy. Patterning of the two-toned CMU veneer extending the length of the spine riffs on the brick façade of traditional educational institutions.
A steel panel system wraps the classroom wings, lending an industrial vibe and a pop of color to the revitalized campus for 1,600 students. An integral but distinctive part of the structure, the theater’s curved, burnished metal wrap reflects changing daylight. The new school’s adjacency to a primary arterial provides exciting visibility to the community.
A fast-paced design schedule informed orientation of the school. Critical programming and siting options guided pragmatic decisions about building configuration and layout, and construction occurred in phases so that the school remained operational throughout construction.
The school occupies a historically significant site where the district’s first schools were constructed in the early 1900s. The new school incorporates various historical artifacts from the original site, including the large eagle mascot embedded in a hallway floor and the capstone from the old building entrance.
Delivered larger classroom and circulation areas to support future program flexibility with innovative and cost-effective structural design solutions. The shell and core configuration of learning areas consolidated infrastructure to provide maximum space for the evolution of teaching methods. Fixed elements such as columns and perimeter steel frames were minimized and strategically located to create larger and adaptable classroom configurations. Eccentrically braced frames create unobstructed spaces within the frames for windows and passageways, provide confidence during a seismic event, and offer a cost-effective construction budget option.
Provided quick connection between the learning hub and the gymnasium and activity wing through the central courtyard. Three classroom wings extend from the learning hub toward the campus green. Each wing features an exterior stairway suspended from a column, a functional yet sculptural element, which required special detailing and extra coordination for construction.
