Park Hill South High School

Kansas City, Missouri

Firm

DLR Group

Client

Park Hill School District

Area

265,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$24,130,000

Completion Date

08/1998

Extensive community input resulted in accolades such as “imaginative” and “cool!” from users of this new high school. The progressive functional design acknowledges a two-year curriculum planning effort, within an environment that allows for personalized learning, integrated thematic instruction, community use and creative teaching.

Utilizing a 4×4 block schedule, the building’s design enables interdisciplinary team teaching, departmentalized instruction and school-within-a-school arrangements. The 1,600-student academic wing fosters flexibility with four 400-student pods. Each pod is divided in half and includes the following: an electronic-resource area and large-group space with smaller classrooms; an instructional planning area and conference room for small group meetings and personalized instruction.

Community-use areas, which include the informational-technology media center, an adjacent multimedia production room, a student art gallery, auditorium, kitchen, commons and gymnasiums, are contiguously located outward from the administrative offices in the activity wing.

The building is situated on a bluff overlooking the city skyline.

Photographer: ©Michael Spillers

"Good use of site…natural light…good materials, colors, patterns."—1999 jury