The new Gallatin High School in Bozeman, Mont., was designed around the concept of a town center to be a place where people come together for a variety of purposes aligned with creating a unified, supportive, interactive community.
Instead of spreading the 300,000-sf school across two levels, the team designed a more compact solution that combines stacked one-, two-, and three-story wings. This layout helps reduce travel distances from one side of the school to the other, creates opportunities for key spaces to make physical and visual connections to the commons, and enhances efficiency in the building’s footprint, systems, and energy use.
The commons were central to the school’s design. Here, students and staff can gather for assemblies, speakers, small group gatherings, and individual study time. A grand staircase offers a “wow” factor but is also highly functional and includes a coffee bar and a cafe tucked beneath.
The ideas of cross-pollination and discovery are infused throughout the design to create visibility into other learning areas to spur interest in trying something new. Wider hallways and an abundance of natural light support a learning environment that feels accessible.
The 70-acre site comprises athletic fields, a trail system, parking areas, a competition track, a softball fields, and tennis courts.
Build Team
Civil Engineer: TD&H Engineering
Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers
Acoustical Engineer: Big Sky Acoustics
Auditorium: Schuler Shook
Client name: Bozeman Public Schools
Related Stories
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
Renovate or build new: How to resolve the eternal question
With capital budgets strained, renovation may be an increasingly attractive money-saving option for many college and universities.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
KU Jayhawks take a gander at a P3 development
The P3 concept is getting a tryout at the University of Kansas, where state funding for construction has fallen from 20% of project costs to about 11% over the last 10 years.
Cultural Facilities | May 15, 2015
Design for beekeeping facility in Tanzania by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects unveiled
The developers say the center will be an important educational and vocational tool.
Industrial Facilities | May 11, 2015
SOM-designed Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute opens in Chicago
The new space will be a place for academia, industries, and civic bodies to collaborate.
Green | Apr 22, 2015
AIA Committee on the Environment recognizes Top 10 Green Projects
Seattle's Bullitt Center and the University Center at The New School are among AIA's top 10 green buildings for 2015.
Sponsored | Roofing | Apr 15, 2015
Curved metal panels allow for community college expansion
A new campus was needed to support an Ohio community college's expanding population
Office Buildings | Apr 1, 2015
IBM's supercomputer Watson finds new home in Manhattan's Silicon Alley
The new headquarters for the former Jeopardy champ was conceived as a showcase for Watson’s capabilities, and as an inspirational workspace for Millennials and idea generators of all ages.
Structural Materials | Mar 30, 2015
12 projects earn structural steel industry's top building award
Calatrava's soaring Innovation Science and Technology Building at Florida Polytechnic University is among the 12 projects honored by the American Institute of Steel Construction in the 2015 IDEAS² awards competition.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
Museums | Mar 9, 2015
Architecture based on astronomy principles for new planetarium in Shanghai
The ancient Chinese civilization left some of the earliest records of humans studying the stars and skies. To exhibit this long history, a new planetarium and astronomy museum is planned for construction in Shanghai.