Anchor Bay High School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

EXEMPLARY IDEAS THAT ENHANCE LEARNING

Commons Area - The 31,000 s.f commons area serves as a town square, socialization space and dining facility for students and is also used as a lobby for the school’s auditorium and gymnasium. The main focal points of the commons area are the anchor and compass logo floor design and large wall clock. Made from porcelain and ceramic tile, the logo recalls the history of sailing, which is imbedded in the local community’s history. The commons was designed to provide easy access to the academic wings, performing arts areas and gymnasium. Running the entire length of the school, the commons encourages quick travel time and provides views into all areas of the school.

Academic Houses - The school’s academic classrooms are organized into four smaller learning communities or “houses.” Each “house” can accommodate up to 600 students and is designed to create a more intimate and interactive learning environment. These communities feature general classrooms, science labs, computer labs and specialized spaces for business, health and art curriculums. Anchor Bay has a strong vocation education program that is integrated with the traditional classrooms to encourage students to expose themselves to business, CAD, health occupations, day care, graphics, electronics and building trades.

Library/Media Center - Situated on the second floor over the main entrance, the library/media center overlooks the student commons area. The academic houses flank the media center and its central placement reinforces the concept that it is the heart of the learning environment and is a resource for all curriculum initiatives.

Performing Arts Wing - Extra practice and rehearsal rooms were included in the design of the performance arts wing to provide students with ample space to participate in music and theater arts programs. They include two large instrumental rehearsal rooms, a vocal rehearsal room and nine practice rooms for individual and ensemble groups. The performing arts wing also features an 850-seat auditorium, Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) lab, drama classroom, scene shop, video production studio and dressing rooms.

DESIGN INNOVATIONS

During the planning phase for the new high school, the school district wanted to build a facility with a historic feeling, but also be a state-of-the-art school that would serve the community’s students, teachers and parents for years to come.

The planning phase included four Vision Planning sessions. The Vision Planning sessions allowed school board members, local citizens and TMP’s designers to participate in an interactive process that encouraged input regarding what features people were looking for in their new high school. The idea for a large commons area and state-of-the-art performing arts spaces were derived from the Vision Planning sessions.

The Vision Planning sessions also developed the academic “house” concept. The group knew it was designing a school that would ultimately house over 2000 students and it was imperative that the school avoided becoming anonymous or overwhelming. By breaking the academic wing down to into four “houses” and using a very simple grid to organize a building, students can more readily grasp where they are and begin feeling they have a sense of place. The “house” concept helps school administrators combat the sense of alienation that many students feel in a conventional school setting where they are one in thousands of students.

Educator Narrative

Our new high school has brought the students, teachers, and community closer together. Everyone has a sense of pride and respect for the new facility. The key ideas behind the development of the facility has continued to serve our large student population and community to its fullest potential.

The commons is a centralized location for students to socialize and dine with their peers. It allows students ample time to reach their classes from the academic wings, performing arts area and gymnasium. We are able to have multiple functions going on simultaneously without feeling crowded. A main focal point of the commons area is an anchor and compass logo floor design. Made from porcelain and ceramic tile, the logo recalls the history of sailing, which is imbedded in the local community’s history.

The media center is the heart of our building. Students can gather to study, search the internet, or just find a quiet place to read without distractions. Ample space is also available for meetings or discussions.

The science labs, day care suite and specialized classrooms for business, health, and performing arts allows our students to gain the experience needed for their potential careers with fully equipped hands-on-training laboratories.

We are very pleased with the accommodations that have met our academic goals and provides us with ample space for family, friends, the community and for future expansion.