GLOW Academy
Girls Leadership Academy of Wilimington
Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW) is dedicated to preparing its middle and high school students- all first-generation college-bound females- for success in college and beyond. GLOW challenged the designers to create an inspiring, economical design to accommodate flexible project-based learning and integrated technology, and to allow for planned growth as grade levels are added.
The design team was eager to support GLOW’s mission with not only a thoughtful and beautiful design, but also a female-led team for both the design and construction including female architects, engineers, landscape designer, and contractor’s team members. The team endeavored to be visible and accessible to students as they worked, prioritizing student involvement and input in the process.
LOCATION: Wilmington, NC
SIZE: 60,000 SF
COMPLETED: 2019
Innovative Solutions
The innovative solution bears little resemblance to the traditional, more institutional K-12 facilities created for different eras. Instead, GLOW’s design blends cost-effective and durable pre-engineered structures with a custom flair. The resulting unique aesthetic is strong and feminine without being “girly,” an important distinction for the students, and conveys grace, energy, and a sense of inclusion.
Careful detailing and varied roof heights help to break up the mass of the buildings to make them more pedestrian-scale and inviting. The footprint forms an welcoming semi-enclosed courtyard, a popular gathering place visible from many interior spaces, which anchors the campus and maintains an indoor/outdoor connection. Every space within the campus is designed as a learning opportunity, from the outdoor classroom near the raingarden to demonstrate ecological systems to the exposed building structure showing real-world applications of physics and geometry.
Energized Environments
The customized layout includes elegant lines in powerful materials such as steel, eye-catching interior angles, and inspirational graphics. Contemporary elements such as asymmetrical window mullions, suspended ceiling “clouds,” and tall windows for maximum daylighting help to define and enliven the space. High-impact, low-cost branding elements such as strategic pops of color also reflect the girls’ energy. Gathering spaces throughout create impromptu study spaces, collaboration areas, or just welcoming zones for down time and socializing.
The new five-building, 14-acre campus opened for the start of the 2019/2020 school year.
Lasting Impacts
The team worked diligently to preserve established design principles while giving the client the most value for the money spent, adapting the design to a pre-engineered structure and value-engineering every component of the building. The resulting design creates an inwardly-focused courtyard which anchors the campus; program spaces include an administrative/cafeteria building, a media center, a classroom building, and a high school building. Maker spaces support hands-on learning and problem solving, and covered outdoor classrooms create a flexible learning environment.
