YCH Architects and our team of engineers designed this 195,000-square-foot facility to create diverse and effective learning environments by utilizing a thoughtful design that intentionally responds to a time when students are going through physical, intellectual, emotional, and social transformations. The design includes a wide variety of 21st-century learning environments for individuals, small teams, and large groups to create an inviting, safe, and creative space that middle-school-aged kids want to occupy. Both the exterior and interior design produce a place that encourages learning, collaboration, and community.
The school was built with two classroom wings positioned 11 degrees off true north to align with existing roadways and allow for the best building orientation on the site. By adding stairatoriums between each wing, the design maximizes collaboration and meeting space for the campus. The design team used that 11-degree angle and repeated it in several architectural elements throughout the building. When developing the interior package, the team continued and connected the angular architectural elements whenever possible, i.e., the carpet pattern in the media center, the connection points of the carpet, and resilient flooring in the main commons entryway. The angular flooring design allowed the design team to visually draw the user into a space and subconsciously connect them to another.
Although designed for 1,200 students, the school's layout divides the population into smaller, grade-level wings, which are easier for administrators and educators to manage. These wings also provide students with a more intimate glade-level experience while allowing them to feel connected to a larger school community in the shared common spaces.