Breck School is an independent, college-preparatory, PreK-12 school located near the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1886 and is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.
Holabird & Root was commissioned by the institution to perform master planning, a redesign of the overall site, renovation and expansion of existing buildings, and construction of new spaces, including playing fields and green spaces. The master plan included four phases of design.
Phase one entailed the demolition and new construction of the Upper School (High School), Media Center, science facilities, and classrooms. Holabird & Root also analyzed the existing mechanical system and charted a plan for ongoing upgrades through the various phases of the work.
The new classrooms are designed in clusters to offer options for meeting in small and large groups and to provide spaces for individual learning with faculty members. Laboratories are designed with flexibility in mind, offering layouts that accommodate intense lab work and collaborative group discussion.
The heart of the Upper School is a vibrant, multistory gathering space that offers places for group work, individual study, and socializing. Each of the major academic zones opens onto the central space, visually connecting all parts of the building: classrooms, labs, offices, and Media Center.