Shakopee High School Renovation & Addition
Shakopee, Minnesota
The goal of the Shakopee High School addition project was to effectively prepare students for their careers and establish smaller individualized communities to support a 3,200-student population. Shakopee needed an addition of 355,000 square feet to double the school’s capacity while retaining the ability to engage students on an individual level.
To establish individual learning environments within a large student body, the district and designers turned to the Academy Learning Model for curricular and facility redesign. The academy model combines electives and core graduation requirements under one of six broader themes, directly tying student learning to hands-on career experiences. Students select from six academies: Engineering & Manufacturing, Science & Technology, Health Sciences, Human Services, Arts & Communications and Business & Entrepreneurship.
To improve wayfinding and promote a unique visual identity, each academy has its own color palette, texture, logo, branding, corporate partnerships and Signature Academy Spaces, such as a coffee shop and competition culinary lab for Business & Entrepreneurship, a fabrication lab for Engineering & Manufacturing and a hospital simulation lab for Health Sciences. The signature spaces promote the individuality of each academy and give students a group identity.
Designers leveraged existing spaces while adding to all sides of the building. The existing science department above the shop created the starting point for the “sister academies” of Science & Technology and Engineering & Manufacturing. A portion of the Arts & Communications Academy is performance-based, so it’s been placed close to the existing performance space.
Academies are dispersed in towers, yet connected by a central commons. This common space traces from the main entry, through the fine arts lobby and expanded student commons, to the activities entrance lobby. The academic towers support flexible learning opportunities with breakout areas adjacent to classrooms, varied furniture options and optimal glazing for natural light and transparency.
Additional Information
Associated Firm
ICS Consulting - Owners Representative
Capacity
167,424
Cost per Sq Ft
$193.00
Featured in
2019 Educational Interiors Showcase
Category
Renovation
Interior category
Interior Renovation
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