Lawrence South Middle School

Creating a new junior high school for the Lawrence school district was a significant community undertaking involving the demolition of the existing school, constructed in the early 1960’s. The design team utilized students, staff, and faculty input with an ethnographic approach to uncover the significance and character of their school. This research was translated in to a new facility designed to accommodate today’s learning models, daylighting, visibility demands, and security concerns that were unaddressed in the original facility.

Large blocks linked together, like vertebrae, and sliced to allow natural light, formed the organizational concept for the building. Abundant natural light, warm wood interiors, and large openings throughout the school were designed to allow for visibility, shared light, and views. Program functions were systematically placed to facilitate appropriate flow during the varied uses of the facility. Coordinating with the attached elementary school building that contained the shared kitchen and serving areas was, also, an integral part of the design.

The classrooms were designed with flexibly and intentionally located to take advantage of adjacent common spaces for collaboration and small groups work. Large glass garage doors were included to allow for daylighting, create good views, and provide options for varying degrees of separation from the adjacent spaces.

*work prior to forming clark | huesemann

Awards:
–  AIA Kansas City, Merit Award, 2010
–  AIA Kansas, Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture, 2010
–  AIA Kansas, Excellence in Masonry Award, 2010
–  AIA Central States, Citation for Excellence in Architecture, 2008
–  AIA Kansas, Citation for Unbuilt Commissioned Architecture, 2007

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