Athens High School
Athens, Alabama
Size: 284,874 square feet/ 1,200 students
Status: Completed 2019
The 284,874 sf new Athens High School houses 1,200 students in grades 9-12. The new high school is a two-story brick and cast stone building that fits within the context of traditional architecture within the city of Athens. GMC designed the school to offer a wide variety of learning spaces, from the formal to informal, and organized the programming to allow students and teachers to take advantage of the school’s new resources. It is organized into wings and nodes for core and special curricula including math, sciences, foreign languages, computer science and coding labs, engineering labs, healthcare labs, visual and digital arts, performing arts, culinary arts, athletics, JROTC, and numerous flex spaces throughout. Within the schools programming are specialized spaces including STEM labs, a 1,200 seat theater, kiln room, server rooms for students, hospital simulation rooms, two-story indoor art gallery, display areas in the teaching courtyard for student sculptures, robotics labs, science labs with chemical storage, soundproof music rooms for ensembles and individuals, arena style gymnasium, and related athletic support facilities. There are nine flex spaces throughout that can be used for group or individual learning throughout the day. Other considerations were given to access and security with three continuously monitored controlled entrances for a majority of the students and teachers. There are separate entrances and drop off points for 9th graders, as well as special needs students, which are designed for students with sensory sensitivities to light, motion, and sound.
Scope of Services
Architecture
Landscape