Cassell Park Elementary School

CASSELL PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI

  • Independence School District
  • New Construction
  • 69,000 SF
  • $20 Million

Complete project integration, from architectural design to brand development. 

The Independence School District needed a new elementary school to prevent overcrowding and eliminate all mobile trailers used in the district. Named after a community landmark and prestigious community figure, students and staff now have a permanent place to call home at Cassell Park Elementary.

Now Home of the Knights, students and teachers take pride in their newly branded identity, which is displayed throughout the school through prominent graphics. Just like a knight, the school represents a safe, protective space while exploring a more collaborative, flexible approach to learning.

Cassell Park is the first elementary in the district to pilot Project Lead the Way into its curriculum. A makerspace is seamlessly integrated into the media center with a retractable door, making hands-on learning visible for all to see.

Liberty High School Performing Arts Center

LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL Performing Arts Center

LIBERTY, MISSOURI

  • Liberty Public Schools
  • Addition
  • 43,000 SF
  • $16.5 million

The new performing arts space boasts unique elements contributing to the full performance experience, down to the technical and behind-the-scenes details.

As a district who places a strong emphasis on the importance of arts in education, Liberty Public Schools sought to improve its fine arts facilities at Liberty High School as part of the 2018 district bond passage. The addition of the new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center brings many opportunities for students, featuring an expansive two-tiered auditorium, flexible band, orchestra and choir rooms, a scene shop, drama classroom, individual rehearsal spaces and an event entrance for performance attendees. All of the spaces were designed to be multi-use to maximize the building’s utilization.

Inspired by spaces such as the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the nearly 800-seat addition is comparable to that of a performance space found on a college campus. Securely connected to the high school, students now have a professional setting to hone their talents. Acoustically accurate architectural details support students in achieving their full creative potential.

Englewood Schools Administrative Building

Thoughtful collaboration added central security, server rooms, additional offices and a secure vestibule, all while remaining in the existing footprint of the building. Interior updates helped the new aesthetic look of the main spaces inside give off a modern feel while preserving the history of the building.

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Learnscape-Hickman Mills School District

LEARNSCAPE 2016

  • Hickman Mills School District
  • Baptiste Educational Center, Burke Elementary School

The fourth recipient of Hollis + Miller’s annual Learnscape was the Hickman Mills School District’s Compass Program. Compass is a project-based STEAM learning program centered at the Baptiste Educational Center. The design is created to engage sight, smell, touch, movement, balance and sound, capturing students’ desire to explore and learn through play.

Organized around a spiraling walkway, the design engages five sensory zones. The first zone focuses on the visual arts and includes easels, markerboards and display walls for art shows. Continuing along the path, the second zone transitions to an area focused on sense of smell. Fragrant plantings host a variety of colors, native fruits and berries throughout the fall and winter. Down the path, a ten-foot water table provides an opportunity for tactile play, science experiments and the occasional boat race. Students can then enter zone four, featuring an abstract architectural representation of a boulder using varying inclined planes to challenge students with movement and balance. The sound of students learning about rhythm tone can be heard throughout, as drums made from repurposed rain barrels and recycled drum skins anchor sensory zone five. Culminating the path at the center of the spiraling design is an amphitheater which can accomodate larger group gatherings.

Cass Career Center

CASS CAREER CENTER

  • Harrisonville School District
  • Renovation & Addition
  • $5.1 million
  • 41,000 SF

Cass Career Center’s newly refreshed interior and exterior provide a modern, inviting look, welcoming students and offering room for program expansion.

Hands-on career training and opportunities for students to participate in college-level courses are more in-demand than ever and the newly renovated Cass Career Center offers a variety of programs available to both students and the community. The existing building was in need of a secure entry, an updated aesthetic and space for up-to-date programs and equipment. An addition allowed for an expanded nursing program to accommodate more students, while updates to the fire sciences, welding, agriculture, horticulture and EMT programs allowed for new equipment and room for program activities.

Olathe West High School

Olathe West High School

OLATHE, KANSAS

  • Olathe USD 233
  • New Construction
  • 375,000 SF
  • $85 million
  • Design Partner: Stantec Architecture

Learning is on display at this one-of-a-kind high school.

From the moment students walk in the door, they’re greeted with the media center and the 21st Century Learning program labs. Student socialization and collaboration are encouraged with two learning stairs connecting academic neighborhoods.

Academic neighborhoods house a variety of spaces from flexible labs to blended learning environments, giving the school a more collegiate feel. No teacher owns their classroom, but rather chooses the environment that will work best for that day’s lesson.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

  • AIA Kansas – Citation Award in Large Architecture
  • A4LE Midwest Great Lakes – John Shaw Award