In Gulf Shores, a city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, a new $137 million high school broke ground in late April and is expected to open in the fall of 2026.
Designed by DLR Group and Goodwyn Mills Cawood, the 287,000-sf Gulf Shores High School will offer cutting-edge facilities and hands-on learning opportunities. The school will include state-of-the-art academic labs specializing in biomedical, marine biology, culinary arts, and finance, as well as spaces for music production, broadcasting, and the arts.
The school’s collaborative spaces include widened hallways, a media center with a maker space and video production studio, and a courtyard with “learning stairs” for interaction. The design also serves Gulf Shores City Schools’ emphasis on inclusivity and diversity of learning styles, with adaptable learning spaces and flexible classroom designs.
A notable feature of the new school is a “flex suite,” a versatile area that can accommodate groups of varying sizes, with seamless transitions between various activities. Similarly, the main hallway’s “sandbar” offers students a space to connect academically and socially.
The school’s Dolphin athletics center will be equipped with competition-size gymnasiums, locker rooms, athletic training rooms, a weight room, and a full-length covered practice facility.
Drawing on the coastal surroundings, the design features vibrant blue tones and other details that evoke the Gulf’s shoreline. Tall windows and expansive glass panels provide natural light and create an energizing learning atmosphere.
“The collective dedication of our educators, passionate community members, and forward-thinking leaders has shaped the vision for our new Gulf Shores High School,” Kevin Corcoran, Gulf Shores City Schools board of education president, said in a statement. “This school will be a hub of innovation, a center for excellence, and shape the future for generations to come.”
On the Building Team:
Owners: Gulf Shores City Schools and The City of Gulf Shores
Architect of record: Goodwyn Mills Cawood
Design architects: DLR Group and Goodwyn Mills Cawood
MEP engineer: DLR Group
Structural engineer: Tucker-Jones Engineers Associates
Interior designer, civil engineer, landscape architect: Goodwyn Mills Cawood
Interior designer, theatrical designer, lighting and acoustical engineer: DLR Group
Program manager: Volkert, Inc.
General contractor: Rabren General Contractors
Related Stories
| Nov 17, 2014
Nearly two years after Sandy Hook, the bloodshed continues
It’s been almost two years since 20 first-graders were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., but these incidents, both planned and random, keep occurring, writes BD+C's Robert Cassidy.
K-12 Schools | Nov 6, 2014
New Sandy Hook school features could influence security standards
The design of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School on the site of the 2012 Newtown, Conn., school shooting features enhanced security measures—some subtle and others more prominent.
| Nov 3, 2014
ASSA ABLOY announces sponsorship of Safe and Sound Initiative
ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening solutions, has signed on as a platinum sponsor of Safe and Sound, an organization founded by families directly affected by the December 14, 2012 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Sponsored | | Oct 29, 2014
Historic Washington elementary school incorporates modular design
More and more architects and designers are leveraging modern modular building techniques for expansion projects planned on historical sites. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 26, 2014
Study asks: Do green schools improve student performance?
A study by DLR Group and Colorado State University attempts to quantify the student performance benefits of green schools.
| Oct 21, 2014
Check out BD+C's GreenZone Environment Education Classroom debuting this week at Greenbuild
At the conclusion of the show, the modular classroom structure will be moved to a permanent location in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, where it will serve as a community center and K-12 classroom.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
Sponsored | | Oct 16, 2014
Mill Brook Elementary School colors outside the lines with creative fire-rated framing solution
Among the building elements contributing to the success of the elementary school’s public learning areas is a fire-rated stairwell that supports the school’s vision for collaboration. HMFH Architects designed the stairwell to be bright and open, reflecting the playful energy of students. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
