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

Staley High School

Originally designed from the ground up by Hollis + Miller in 2009, Staley High School recently brought the team back on to design two major additions for academics and athletics.

Continue reading

Soaring Heights Elementary School

Soaring Heights Elementary School

JOPLIN, MISSOURI

  • Joplin School District
  • New Construction
  • 66,500 SF total
  • $13.5 million

One-of-a-kind collaborative spaces encourage impromptu idea sharing and intimate one-on-one learning.

The Learning Park, Tree House and Theatre in the Park are all flexible learning spaces unique to Soaring Heights. The flexible design emboldens educators and students to adapt their learning environment to the lesson.

This school replaces the elementary school lost on May 22, 2011, when the worst tornado disaster on record to date in the United States hit the City of Joplin.

Joplin Early Childhood Center

Joplin Early Childhood Center

JOPLIN, MISSOURI

  • Joplin School District
  • New Construction
  • 37,500 SF
  • $8.7 million

After seven years in temporary classrooms, Joplin’s littlest learners finally have a home for learning and exploring. This is “Where it all Begins…”

Teachers can now collaborate together to utilize shared learning centers that are integral to their early education curriculum, rather than having to house these centers in their classrooms, which has freed up space in their rooms for more individual and group learning.

It was important for the Joplin community that their Early Childhood Center feels more like a home than a school to ease the transition for students. This space comes alive thanks to the integration of the environmental graphics. Students and visitors are immersed in a forest of trees and critters. The Learning Grove opens learners’ imaginations with construction and waterplay stations, as well as a tricycle track, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor learning.

In May 2011, an F-5 tornado struck the city of Joplin, devastating the community. The District’s early childhood center is the last piece of Operation Rebuild.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

  • IIDA Mid-America – Silver Award in K-12 Education
  • AIA Kansas City – Citation Award in Interior Architecture

Joplin Early Childhood Center

JOPLIN, MISSOURI

  • Joplin School District
  • New Construction
  • 37,500 SF
  • $8.7 million

After seven years in temporary classrooms, Joplin’s littlest learners finally have a home for learning and exploring. This is “Where it all Begins…”

Teachers can now collaborate together to utilize shared learning centers that are integral to their early education curriculum, rather than having to house these centers in their classrooms, which has freed up space in their rooms for more individual and group learning.

It was important for the Joplin community that their Early Childhood Center feels more like a home than a school to ease the transition for students. This space comes alive thanks to the integration of the environmental graphics. Students and visitors are immersed in a forest of trees and critters. The Learning Grove opens learners’ imaginations with construction and waterplay stations, as well as a tricycle track, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor learning.

In May 2011, an F-5 tornado struck the city of Joplin, devastating the community. The District’s early childhood center is the last piece of Operation Rebuild.

Liberty High School

A shift of department locations results in a transformation of an open, flexible and innovative environment fostering entrepreneurial mindsets.

Continue reading

Learnscape-Park Hill School District

The Russell Jones Education Center offers educational programs to identified special education students from kindergarten through twelfth grade who have emotional and behavioral concerns. The learning approach targets specific skill deficits using data-based decision making.

Continue reading

Trailwood Elementary School

Trailwood Elementary School

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS

  • Shawnee Mission School District
  • New Construction
  • 68,000 SF total
  • $16.9 million

Every space is an opportunity for learning. Described as a “dream school,” Trailwood focuses on hands-on, experiential learning.

Corridors that would traditionally be meant for travel are transformed into work areas with soft seating, tables and easily accessible technology. Accommodating 550 students grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, the Principal and community are excited about the possibilities this unique design provides.

Safety was a paramount concern throughout the design and construction because this new elementary school was built next to the existing facility, which stayed open and operational throughout construction. Careful coordination between the District, our team and JE Dunn’s construction team was paramount to ensure students and faculty at the existing school stayed safe and secure.

St. Elizabeth Early Childhood Center

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.