This new school is the first site-adapted construction of a prototype created for the specific needs of Gaston County Schools. The layout is not only flexible and adaptable to various site constraints, but also compact and efficient. The design of a prototype that could fit multiple sites in an urban area was an exciting challenge for the design team.

The prototype needed to replace multiple aging schools throughout the district, including both new sites and existing school sites requiring the original school to remain occupied during construction. Input from various stakeholder meetings underscored that these replacement schools needed to maintain the community pride in the existing schools while enhancing the branding. The design team also worked closely with the maintenance staff and principals to select materials and building systems that could be installed throughout the district to streamline training and maintenance issues.

The student-friendly layout features a prominent second-floor STEM lab overlooking a two-story media center. This flexible lab encourages students to “design it, engineer it, test it, and build it” in a hands-on learning environment with flexible collaborative furniture, 3-D printers, central maker tables, and perimeter workstations.