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
| Mar 4, 2014
If there’s no ‘STEM crisis,’ why build more STEM schools?
Before you get your shorts in a knot, I have nothing against science, technology, engineering, or even mathematics; to the contrary, I love all four “STEM” disciplines (I’m lying about the math). But I question whether we need to be building K-12 schools that overly emphasize or are totally devoted to STEM.
| Feb 26, 2014
Adaptive reuse project brings school into historic paper mill
The project features nontraditional classrooms for collaborative learning, an arts and music wing, and a technologically sophisticated global resource center.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 5, 2014
'School Security' PDF available to BD+C readers - CORRECTED
I've received several requests from BD+C readers who design and build K-12 schools about the 3-part series we ran in our January issue ("Can Design Prevent Another Sandy Hook?"). They wanted to send the issue to their school boards and other public officials with responsibility for school safety. In light of the importance of this topic, as a special service to our readers we're making the series available in PDF form.
| Feb 5, 2014
Extreme conversion: Atlanta turns high-rise office building into high school
Formerly occupied by IBM, the 11-story Lakeside building is the new home for North Atlanta High School.
| Jan 30, 2014
What to expect in the metal building industry in 2014
Every year brings changes. This one won’t be any different. We’ll see growth in some areas, declines in others. Here’s a little preview of what we’ll be writing about 2014 when 2015 comes rolling in.
| Jan 28, 2014
White Paper: How metal buildings deliver long-term value to schools
A new white paper from Star Building Systems outlines the benefits of metal buildings for public and private school building projects.
| Jan 28, 2014
16 awe-inspiring interior designs from around the world [slideshow]
The International Interior Design Association released the winners of its 4th Annual Global Excellence Awards. Here's a recap of the winning projects.
| Jan 15, 2014
Report: 32 U.S. buildings have been verified as net-zero energy performers
The New Buildings Institute's 2014 Getting to Zero Status report includes an interactive map detailing the net-zero energy buildings that have been verified by NBI.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
