Weddington High School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

Growth and development in the metropolitan areas of the South have challenged local school officials to keep pace. In a county located on the edges of a large city, the school board and administrators viewed the design of their new high school as an opportunity to reinforce their values, to set new standards for the next generation of teachers and students in their county and to strengthen the sense of community in the area. The resulting design was developed with these three goals in mind.

The School Board and district educational planners expressed a desire to maintain their small community identity in the shadow of big city sprawl. To enhance the sense of community, the 1,400-student high school was zoned to allow access to the gymnasium, auditorium, commons and media center for use by the public. The building encourages and develops community involvement by providing a setting for recreation and life-long learning.

To embrace new developments in education, flexible-use was emphasized in the building program. The high school was divided into classroom “houses”. Each of these units is comprised of student classrooms, administrative offices to improve security, teacher offices and resource areas. An individual house could represent a department, a grade level or a “school within a school” giving the school a level of adaptability that a traditional design does not allow.

The School Board and school administration strongly encourage innovation and the development of new educational methods. These philosophies are accommodated by the use of “houses” and through the integration of technology into every type of teaching environment. A student resource area was placed within each house to support self-guided learning strategies. Access to computers, copy machines, cameras and other media in these rooms provide for “project-based” curriculum needs.

The County’s educators believe that personal relationships with students are the key to successful learning. Administrative, faculty and student resources organized together within the houses helps to encourage familiarity between the groups, and provides the intimacy of a small school while still offering the facilities and resources of a larger school. The building’s design provided informal commons areas throughout the houses and other areas in the facility. These informal areas offer opportunities for spontaneous interaction and the kind of flexible, relaxed socialization that enhances a feeling of community.

Careful attention was paid to the needs and desires of all stakeholders involved — the School Board, educators, administration and students. The desire was to design and build a school that would foster community involvement and establish a strong sense of identity for the county, while incorporating forward-thinking educational philosophies. The design of the high school is a result of these common goals and ideas.