Kent Island High School

Stevensville, Maryland

Firm

Grimm & Parker Architects

Client

Queen Anne`s County Public Schools

Area

265,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$17,905,482

Completion Date

08/1998

Kent Island High School is a 1,200-student technology-based school located along the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore of Maryland. The major concern centered around creating a facility that becomes a focal point of Kent Island, where both the students and the community feel a sense of identity and belonging. The planning process provided a forum for community, civic and business leaders, teachers, staff, students and architects. The resulting school and design program provided customized, imaginative solutions to school and community goals and objectives.
The site entry is flanked by ponds and wetlands to emphasize the island nature of the region and to provide an environmental-study area. The architectural language, expressed by exposed structural-steel-frame construction and detailing, reflects the nautical character of the eastern shore region.
The development and refinement of a student Main Street and an interdisciplinary-program cluster concept create a sense of community within the school. Academic/career-oriented clusters are grouped to encourage relationships between classes and disciplines, and foster personal growth.

Photographers: ©Dan Cunningham and ©Kenneth Wyner