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Through renovations and an addition to a 1950s-era building on a tight city footprint, BLDD and the district worked together to develop an engaging, innovative and inviting high school, focused on providing modern facilities to support digital learning, academic achievement and the fine arts and athletic excellence. Featuring a concert hall with grandstands and a press box, the program area was drastically increased with only a small amount of new square footage.
How can an existing outdated and insufficient structure with a small site footprint be updated to better support its students' needs?
The greatest challenge was to achieve shared spaces that would help dissimilar programs excel beyond their current capacity without reducing effectiveness of competing needs. The team's deep understanding of these needs allowed space to be sized and equipped accordingly, rather than relying on general spaces that serve all less adequately.
- 15% Program Area Increase with only 5% New Square Footage
- Flexible Spaces
- Secure Entry
- Maker's Space
- Concert Hall
- 2,500 seat grandstand bleachers and press box
- Honorable Mention, Exhibition of Educational Environments: IASB/IASA/IASBO 2018 Conference
- 2019 "Best Communities for Music Education"National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)
"Being able to address issues in many different areas — fine arts, athletics, academic and administrative — has prepared the district to adapt with ever-changing student needs over the next 30-plus years."
- Dr. Adam Brumbaugh, Superintendent
The spirit of teamwork and fundamental arts education have transformed a dated environment into a home for powerful performance in academics, athletics and fine arts. The Front Entry Lobby offers a space that feels welcoming and secure. The Maker’s Space provides a flexible learning space that encourages project-based learning in 2D and 3D arts. The Lobby and Info Commons encourage collaborative learning within a blend of traditional and technologically advanced spaces. The Concert Hall spotlights student learning through performance.
Poised for improved performance, student-athletes alongside musicians and spectators can now enjoy a new synthetic-turf football field, 8-lane all-weather track, a 2,500-seat grandstand bleachers with press box, a new concessions building and a main football field entry with pedestrian plaza.
The new Herscher Intermediate School is set to transform daily life for students, families, and the entire community. Outdated intermediate and underutilized high school spaces are being updated by a single, purpose-built facility—bringing everyone together under one roof for a safer and more connected experience.
This renovation and new addition project turned into an opportunity to not only unify an outdated and disconnected school building, but also bring unification to a student body and community.
With an already thriving program, the planning of this facility and its location needed to be tightly knit into other district programs, such as athletics and general education. A key consideration was also the ability to expand program offerings in the future, through enlarged facilities and features which could include on-site gardens, crops or additional livestock support.