Faith Archives - Hollis + Miller

St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School

LEE’S SUMMIT, MISSOURI

Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph
New Construction
90,000 SF
$25 million
Religious Design Partner: SFS Architecture

Traditional values meet innovative learning where students get a well-rounded education in a space that marries religious teachings with brain-based learning.

This new Kansas City Diocese school combines the former St. Mary’s and Archbishop O’Hara high schools into one cohesive learning environment. A large atrium connects the chapel and academic spaces with a two-story learning stair, which encourages collaboration and community. The classrooms’ traditional style is complemented by flexible furniture that allow the spaces to adapt to each day’s teaching schedule.

St. Elizabeth Early Childhood Center

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

St. Elizabeth Catholic School
Renovation/Addition
20,000 SF
$4 million

DIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY-ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

For years, the St. Elizabeth Early Childhood Center was located across a high-traffic street from the Catholic Church, calling for their youngest students to journey back and forth multiple times a day. Hollis + Miller designed a master plan for the Church, putting high priority on uniting the Early Childhood Center, K-8 school and the Catholic Church on the same side of the street. The new design does just that, providing peace of mind for staff and parents, and also allows opportunities for growth and adaptations in the future.

The renovated rectory building hosts eight new classrooms for pre-k and kindergarten students. The rectory, a residential home for members of the clergy, challenged the design team to develop innovative solutions transforming the space into a learning environment. The design incorporates research-based learning tools and showcases a touch of tradition with the existing stone walls of the rectory, as well as the connecting Church. The new early childhood center features a learning stair and sliding classroom walls for co-teaching, shared storage areas and indoor/outdoor collaboration spaces to expand fine motor skills. A large balcony serves as a flexible commons area and gathering space for students, staff and parish members.

St. James Academy

ST. JAMES ACADEMY

LENEXA, KANSAS

Archdiocese of Kansas City-Kansas
New Construction
108,000 SF

Located in a growing suburb within the greater Kansas City area, this facility integrates and adapts to changes in education, spirituality and technology.

The Chapel serves as the Heart of the Campus. This statement not only led to the present location of the Chapel, but also a concept of allowing students to be in the Presence of Christ as they experienced the building through visual connections to the Tabernacle. The Chapel is also flexible enough to not only accommodate 200 students, but the entire 800-student population, and still maintain a contiguous space so that they felt like they were apart of the Mass. We accomplished this by combining the allocated space for dining, gathering, and the Chapel into one large common centralized space detailed with similar materials and volume.