Laurel Oaks Career Campus

Project Narrative

Located adjacent a large public air park, the Laurel Oaks Career Campus consisted of two primary buildings separated by an open plaza. The buildings had many entrances, with no clear main entry, were difficult to navigate, and required students to go outside when traveling between classes.

A primary goal of the project was to connect the facilities while creating a new, cohesive identifier for the campus that was more consistent with the schools mission.

The new connector addition serves as the new main entry to the career center and contains the entry hall, career success center, and student collaboration spaces. Enclosed in glass with a large roof element souring overhead, the entry hall serves as the main organizational element that welcomes visitors and connects the various academic and community spaces.

New corridor connectors on the north and south sides of the technical lab building improve access to the lab spaces and completely transforms the visual appearance of the building through the creative use of glass and metal panels arranged in response to orientation and interior programing.

Wall, ceiling and floor elements, along with strategically placed common areas, organize movement throughout the complex, unifying the spatial experience and creating a sense of place.

The brand identity and aesthetic supports Great Oaks’ vision of inspiring students to achieve higher levels of success while the improved design transforms Laurel Oaks from a “1970’s Vocational School” to a “21st Century Institute of Learning and Exploration.”

                                           

Project Details

Submission Category

Building Architecture- Large Scale (>10,000 sf)

Date of Completion

August, 2021