It features a two-story central dining commons designed as a multi-functional space that can serve as pre-function lobby for assembly events, education meeting space, after hours community space, and truly becomes the “living room” of the school. The central commons also facilitates wayfinding by providing a physical and visual connection to all of the major program elements including administration and student services, the main theatre, the main and auxiliary gyms, the media center, and access to the two academic wings. Each academic wing is three stories and includes three breakout commons per floor that provide equal access from all seminar spaces and labs and organize the school into 18 small learning communities to foster a more personalized experience for all students.
The dining commons connects directly to an exterior learning terrace that steps down to the courtyard between the two classroom wings providing an exterior gathering space and outdoor classroom while also helping to mitigate the substantial topographic change across the site. The classrooms wings are set into the grade in a split level configuration such that the schools main entrance is on the second level. The flanking classroom wings on either side of the courtyard buffer surrounding elements while embracing the connection of the classrooms to the landscape.
