Butler County Magnet School

Georgiana, Alabama

Size: 100,000 sf
Project Awards: Outstanding Design, American School & University 2010 Educational Interiors; School Planning & Management Design Showcase

The Butler County School Board’s vision for the new Georgiana K-12 school was to bring students with distinct needs from two communities together under one roof for a united school district. The 100,000 square-foot Magnet School, situated on a prominent road between the communities, uses a center spine for shared functions with classroom arms on either side—one for K-6th and the other for 7th- 12th. The centralized placement of the larger programming elements separates the different student populations but also allows opportunities for interaction. The facility features two hi-tech media centers, two gymnasiums, two interior courtyards and a cafeteria for elementary and high school students. Other specialty areas include a circular internet cafe for high school students and meeting spaces at the end of each classroom wing where students and teachers can gather in smaller groups or display special creative projects. Although it’s located within a rural community, the design emphasizes the most up-to-date technology and modern teaching methods with a variety of learning spaces and independent study areas. The innovative exterior design sets it apart and embodies the school’s distinctive personality and is meant to be a safe, sustainable, technologically-advanced environment that is also cost-efficient. When the school opened its doors in 2009, it was filled almost to capacity because of the overwhelming response from the communities

Scope of Services
Architecture
Engineering
Landscape
Planning