The new Almeta Crawford High School is a modern space where designers took an underdeveloped area and created an intuitive campus that pays homage to the deep roots of the district’s history. The design for the building is purposefully situated centrally on the site with an overall east-west layout to capture ideal daylight for learning spaces with minimal heat gain. The linear building form is separated into two distinct masses: one to the north and another to the south. An outdoor, secure courtyard connects the two. Active participation in the classrooms, collaboration spaces, and multipurpose areas are facilitated by using operable partitions, mobile markerboards, and flexible furniture that provide re-configurability of spaces. Large art pieces of the school mascot, the charger, can be seen adorning hallways, stairwells, and the commons.
Almeta Crawford High School is 502,000 SF. The school is sized for 3,000 students and provides approximately 1,000 parking stalls with clear vehicular circulation. Materials were chosen for durability and long-term maintenance. Frited glass keeps maintenance cost low and is a bird safe option that allows for maximum daylight. The main entry is located at the south building, which houses administration and academic spaces with access to visitor and student drop-off. Secondary secured entrances are located at the east and west for staff and students.