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
K-12 Schools | Apr 18, 2023
ASHRAE offers indoor air quality guide for schools
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a guide for educators, administrators, and school districts on indoor air quality. The guide can be used as a tool to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives, and available funding.
K-12 Schools | Apr 13, 2023
Creating a sense of place with multipurpose K-12 school buildings
Multipurpose buildings serve multiple program and functional requirements. The issue with many of these spaces is that they tend not to do any one thing well.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
New tool from Perkins&Will will make public health data more accessible to designers and architects
Called PRECEDE, the dashboard is an open-source tool developed by Perkins&Will that draws on federal data to identify and assess community health priorities within the U.S. by location. The firm was recently awarded a $30,000 ASID Foundation Grant to enhance the tool.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
Design for belonging: An introduction to inclusive design
The foundation of modern, formalized inclusive design can be traced back to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The movement has developed beyond the simple rules outlined by ADA regulations resulting in features like mothers’ rooms, prayer rooms, and inclusive restrooms.
Education Facilities | Apr 3, 2023
Oklahoma’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center opens academic center for affordable education and training
Oklahoma’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center, which provides career-specific training to adults and high school students, has completed its Francis Tuttle Danforth Campus—a two-story, 155,000-sf academic building. The project aims to fill the growing community’s rising demand for affordable education and training.
K-12 Schools | Mar 6, 2023
Benefitting kids through human-centric high school design
Ingrid Krueger, AIA, LEED AP, shares why empathetic, well-designed spaces are critical in high schools.
Sustainability | Mar 2, 2023
The next steps for a sustainable, decarbonized future
For building owners and developers, the push to net zero energy and carbon neutrality is no longer an academic discussion.
K-12 Schools | Feb 18, 2023
Atlanta suburb opens $85 million serpentine-shaped high school designed by Perkins&Will
In Ellenwood, Ga., a southeast suburb of Atlanta, Perkins and Will has partnered with Clayton County Public Schools and MEJA Construction to create a $85 million secondary school. Morrow High School, which opened in fall 2022, serves more than 2,200 students in Clayton County, a community with students from over 30 countries.
