Pullman High School, like its community, is an amalgam of traditional programs balanced with forward-thinking education. Home to Washington State University, (WSU), Pullman is known for its agriculture and rolling hills. Its population of 33,000 largely falls either into academic or farming disciplines; Their new high school reflects those characteristics, encompassing three key ideas:
A marriage of the site context with outwardly focused learning environments. The new high school replaced the existing school on one of the surrounding, iconic hills. The selection of materials reinforces this with the local colors and textures.
Like the local highways and roads, the building connects its community with a central “highway.” The previous facility was a confusing labyrinth, so the school desired better connectivity and supervision. In the new school, a central spine connects the main entry with the Commons which is the centerpiece for socialization, inter-disciplinary learning, and collaboration.
The school incorporates progressive learning spaces into more traditional areas. The Commons features an indoor/outdoor learning stair while the academic wings feature collaborative “learning cubes.” The extraordinarily robust CTE program features remarkable maker spaces, flex-labs and a unique multi-media video/photo studio. The agricultural science lab is appropriate, given the world-renowned agriculture research at WSU.
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