Reimagining a 50-year-old high school involved unifying disconnected building forms while improving entries, circulation, congestion and material cohesion. The design team was challenged to integrate modern fenestration strategies within the existing structure to enhance natural light and connectivity. Through an iterative series of community design workshops, the existing campus was analyzed, deconstructed, and re-envisioned. The resulting master plan enhances connectivity, student engagement, and campus cohesion. The reimagined high school yields a holistic transformation—an architectural synthesis of light, collaboration, and experiential learning.

A key planning move involved the reorientation of primary entries and relocation of central administration functions. This intervention resolves longstanding vehicular congestion issues, improves pedestrian safety, and introduces a clearly defined, welcoming approach—anchored by a new student promenade that leads directly into the social and academic core of campus. At the heart of this transformation is a new central spine—a vibrant, student-centric, two-story internal boulevard that bisects the building. This dynamic corridor offers visual transparency, interactive learning zones, and curated display opportunities for the school’s most engaging academic programs. Organized circulation and consistent materials unify previously fragmented structures. Student-centered collaboration zones blend seamlessly with career-focused areas, supporting diverse learning styles and future-ready curriculum. The revitalized environment promotes engagement, flexibility, and connectivity, reflecting a modern educational vision.

Many decades of unplanned growth had led to the form and facade that was inconsistent and outdated. Our design located program pieces within the voids to complete the building’s form and an overall facade was designed for a consistent design. The modernized facade gives the school a fresh, cohesive appearance, and the hierarchy in the glazing provides a glimpse into the building program. Larger expressions of glazing highlight moments of collaborative education within, and punch windows give way to core academics. Erosions in the form and facade create outdoor learning environments and nodes of transparency deeper into the building.

The original school layout included two distinct communal areas where students gathered for collaboration and meals that were physically and socially disconnected, unintentionally reinforcing divisions among student groups. A series of community engagement sessions deemed the spatial fragmentation as a critical issue. In response, the design prioritizes the creation of a unified, centrally located commons—an inclusive environment that fosters social equity and a stronger collective identity across the entire student body. This unifying student commons gives all students a home that cultivates a sense of pride. From the natural daylight to the bold graphics and school colors, the new student commons repurposed an uninspiring, landlocked courtyard.

A key feature of the transformation is the renovated 1,400-seat multi-functional auditorium, now a state-of-the-art venue for student performances and community events—underscoring the school’s strong commitment to the arts. The existing fire lane was repurposed to expand and transform a once-congested lobby into a prominent multi-use space for both pre-performance queuing and events. The refreshed facility attracts and elicits pride in the community.

With bold interior graphics, a modernized Theater, and a transformed exterior, this school stands as a welcoming beacon in the community.

Design: Glenn|Partners
Design Team: Patrick Glenn, Greg Estes, Douglas Payne, Riley Fleming, Kathryn Rocha
Contractor: Hill & Wilkinson
Photography: Charles Davis Smith