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Fayetteville High School 2nd floor with seamless window hallway extends to create covered walkway above stone wall to entry
Fayetteville High School

Sensitive Renovation Supports Next-Gen Learning

Client

Fayetteville Public Schools

Project Location

Fayetteville, AR

Students

3,000

Area

177,500 SF

To maintain its competitive advantage in academics and attract the state’s brightest students, Fayetteville Public Schools tasked us to strategically re-structure its educational program into a small learning community, or SLC, model. This vision constitutes a massive modernization of aged buildings through a 36-month phased approach, allowing for continuous operation of the school during construction.

The new SLCs are designed with core learning studios that feature discovery, project-based learning, and digital and applied learning labs to foster collaboration. Distributed administration, resource centers, and dining allow students to spend a majority of their day within their SLC.

The MEP design allows systems in each space to operate individually and ultimately be integrated into one core system at project completion. The addition features abundant glass and overlooks a new landscaped street which creates a collegiate campus feel, reflective of the school’s ties to the University of Arkansas.

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As one would anticipate in a university town, there was significant community interest in the future of Fayetteville High School. Dozens of meetings were held with the invitation extended to all constituencies – faculty/staff, parents/ patrons, business, etc. – to participate in the conversations necessary to develop the program for this transformed high school campus."

Tim Hudson Fayetteville Public Schools Board member
13
Exterior view, large concrete steps lead to door of long 3 story window lined building. A courtyard front with lawn and paths
Exterior view, large concrete steps lead to door of long 3 story window lined building. A courtyard front with lawn and paths

Exterior design at Fayetteville High School.

Exterior view of the school from across the street. Concrete steps are built into green hill leading up to the black building
View from across lawn with 3 flags. Stone lower level with glass entry below black 2nd floor with large seamless windows
Entry to building with black shelter over stone wall lined walkways. Glass front to 2 story central entry with recessed doors
Partially enclosed black stairwell in front of double height raised glass walled hallway. Between is a courtyard with paths
Stone walls under raised hallway which covers an outdoor dining area with picnic tables. Beyond, downhill, are more buildings
Courtyard surrounded by building with stone lower level and steps to left. Black paneled upper walls with sheltered stairwell
Outdoor stairwell viewed from covered path above. Walls on either side with stone base below glass lined hallway on 3 sides
Exterior view of glass lined wall of black building with wide concrete steps leading to recessed entrance. Front, a lawn
2 sets of wide concrete steps in front of floor to ceiling windows and glass entry doors. Steps separated by hill with trees
Close up view of sheltered black stairwell in courtyard with black translucent side walls. Stairs go to black panel 2nd floor
13

Today when we shovel dirt, we don’t just shovel dirt, we shovel hope for the next generation of children to come on, generation to generation."

Lioneld Jordan Mayor, City of Fayetteville

FHS is much more modern and contemporary. It is very nice to have all of the natural light flowing into the building since the old building was fairly dark."

Alison Z. FHS Senior
13
Band classroom with grey and brown acoustic panels along the top of a grey room. 1 wall has windows with black roller shades
Band classroom with grey and brown acoustic panels along the top of a grey room. 1 wall has windows with black roller shades

Interior design at Fayetteville High School.

Auditorium with curved seating facing red curtained stage. Wood panels hang above audience and frame stage above stone wall
Study area of library surrounded by half height bookshelves. Black columns in double height room with 2nd floor walkway left
Double height gymnasium in use during a Fayetteville Bulldogs basketball game. Bleachers surround wood floor basketball court
Students sit at long tables in grey corridor. Classrooms are left, with transparent wall looking in. Right, a black bannister
A newsroom with wood wall and desk, accented with purple and images of the bulldog mascot. 2 cameras face the stage
Hallway with purple wall right and wall of windows to the left. Girls use weights and training equipment below black ceiling
Students practice in band room with colorblock grey, brown, and beige acoustical panels on walls. Bottom of wall has lockers
13

In a few short years time, the commitment that Fayetteville has to education will once again shine, and our purple pride will not only be for the Bulldogs that play here, but it will also be for the 21st century learning environment provided by our schools."

Susan Heil FPS Board President

The community brought energy and an inquisitive attitude that contributed to the overall success of the planning. There was a perfect mix of community input and a design team that listened carefully. In my every encounter with the design team every effort was made to listen and go beyond what may have been original thinking. A balanced approach was very successful."

Steve Jacoby Former FHS Principal
13

Awards

2016 Education Facility Design Award

AIA Committee on Architecture for Education

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