Jackson Creek Middle School

Bloomington, Indiana

Firm

The Odle McGuire & Shook Corporation

Client

Monroe County Community School Corporation

Area

34,600 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$16,750,000

Completion Date

08/1998

The Monroe County Community School Corporation offered two challenges to the architect in the design of the new Jackson Creek Middle School: design the facility so it reflects the middle-school teaching philosophy of houses; design the facility so it responds to the topographical characteristics of the site.
Jackson Creek Middle School is a two-story, grade 7-8 facility that has an optimum student enrollment of 600 divided into three academic houses of 200 students each. Due to expected growth in the area, the facility is designed to accommodate a maximum of 720 students divided into three houses of 240 students.
The building is organized into two areas: activity and instructional. The activity area is east of the main entry, and adjacent to parking areas and a city park. The gym, cafeteria and auditorium are grouped to allow for flexible scheduling of programs and to facilitate after-school community activities.
The instructional area is west of the main entry and is designed to emphasize the three academic houses. Each academic house includes the core subjects of the middle-school curriculum: language arts, science, math and social studies. The media center, administration, art and other academic areas are grouped centrally to the houses for easy student access.
Large expanses of glass and clerestory windows provide natural light to interior spaces. The tower element provides natural light to the main lobby.
The building is wired with a technology system that includes computer networking throughout the building, a media retrieval system and voicemail with a homework- hotline system.

Photographer: ©Kendall Reeves/Spectrum Studio