Lewis and Clark Middle School

A Fresh Face

Originally a Bond Program project to add 15 new classrooms in replacement for the same number of portables, the design process quickly discovered some additional opportunities that could grow out of this project. Listening to the needs of the district, principal and teachers APMA ideated multiple concepts that added classrooms to multiple locations on the campus. Along with the stakeholder group we discussed the pros and cons of each potential solution. An additional challenge for the school was that the entrance facing the neighborhood which was functional at the time of the original design was isolated from parking and was not accessible. The design team worked through a solution that oriented the new classrooms in a location that worked functionally for the school while creating a new entrance that was adjacent to the parking lot, fully accessible, and provided a new face to 72nd Street and Omaha.

Project Details

Location
Omaha, NE

Size
26,550 SF Addition
3,350 SF Renovation

Scope of Work
Addition + Renovation

Date of Completion
Fall 2021

Over time Lewis and Clark had installed murals throughout the school with themes including leadership, pride, inclusion, language, geography, art, and music. A new mural continues this tradition with an infusion of school pride, colors, and topics including academics, athletics, the arts, and their school motto of “We not me”.

A well designed classroom helps improve attention, reduces anxiety, provides ample natural light, and supports the pedagogy of the educator. Aligning with the Ed Spec from Omaha Public Schools, we worked with the administration and educators to design classrooms with the space that they need
to provide the highest level of education possible.

The program for the project may have sounded simple; new classrooms to replace long-outdated portables. Our process started with listened to the school and district to learn all the challenges that impacted the success of the school. Using this information we sketched design iterations, identifying pros and cons of each. The ultimate solution not only provided the much needed new classrooms, it solved challenges such as circulation and accessibility as well.

Photography by William Hess

Related Projects

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