Fulton County Schools in Georgia teamed with Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (which provided curriculum support) and several other partners to develop Innovation Academy, the school district’s latest magnet school.
The 245,000-sf, three-level school—whose construction began in July 2018 and whose ceremonial groundbreaking occurred last Nov. 22—will be located in downtown Alpharetta, Ga., on property that previously housed the old Milton High School. It will open initially to accommodate ninth and 10th graders, but ultimately will serve between 1,500 and 1,600 students in grades nine through 12.
To support the workforce needs of the North Fulton community, the school’s curriculum will focus on Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, with an emphasis on design thinking and preparing students for a “knowledge economy.” Learning will be demonstrated through projects, portfolios, certifications, business mentorships as well as student created applications and products.
Innovation Academy will take academic concepts and teach them through real-world experiences and hands-on problem solving. Students will work in teams with support from a robust advisory program, with the goal of cultivating the students to become future leaders who can help solve the community’s challenges.
Atlanta-based design firm Cooper Carry brought together its K-12, Higher Education, and Science & Technology studios to collaborate on the design of Innovation Academy, which is centered around a three-story atrium dubbed Touchdown Commons that runs through the building’s spine and will serve as the school’s cafeteria and media center.
This multifunctional space will be outfitted with moveable seating and accessible technology to create an environment suitable for everything from eating lunch to robotics practice. The communal area is designed to connect with an outdoor courtyard and makerspace that’s visible through windows that allow for natural light to come into the classrooms.
Inside, the school’s corridor walls will be manufactured from a combination of glass windows and garage doors to promote transparency. Interior dividers will be made from stud walls. The school’s rooms will be constructed using a planning module with multiples of the same 11-ft wide by 30-ft deep configuration, to allow for user flexibility.
The building’s exterior brick and columns are designed to match the look of Alpharetta City Center, a 26-acre mixed use property that expanded the city’s downtown by six blocks and includes the Cooper Carry-designed Alpharetta City Library, which opened five years ago.
The three-story atrium in Innovation Academy, known as Touchdown Commons, will be a multifunctional space that connects to an outdoor courtyard.
The design plans for Innovation Academy were informed by public outreach sessions with the school’s faculty and local community members.
Cooper Carry is also working with Fulton County Schools to develop a sister STEM school in Fairburn, Ga., which could open during the 2021-22 school year.
Jacobs is the project manager and Barton Malow the GC on Innovation Academy, which is scheduled to open in August 2021, a year later than originally planned.
Superintendent Mike Looney told the Atlanta Journal Constitution last June that his staff needed more time to prepare before the school opened. “I want to ensure that there is a comprehensive educational structure in place before we recruit and place students in this program,” he stated. “If we want students to join a new effort like this, they and their parents deserve a comprehensive and detailed picture of what they will learn as part [of] this experience and how that experience will prepare them for college and a career.”
Indeed, next year Innovation Academy will be used as a hub for teacher and staff training.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 16, 2024
Mexico’s ‘premier private academic health center’ under design
The design and construction contract for what is envisioned to be “the premier private academic health center in Mexico and Latin America” was recently awarded to The Beck Group. The TecSalud Health Sciences Campus will be located at Tec De Monterrey’s flagship healthcare facility, Zambrano Hellion Hospital, in Monterrey, Mexico.
Student Housing | Apr 12, 2024
Construction begins on Auburn University’s new first-year residence hall
The new first-year residence hall along Auburn University's Haley Concourse.
K-12 Schools | Apr 10, 2024
A San Antonio school will provide early childhood education to a traditionally under-resourced region
In San Antonio, Pre-K 4 SA, which provides preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, and HOLT Group, which owns industrial and other companies, recently broke ground on an early childhood education: the South Education Center.
University Buildings | Apr 10, 2024
Columbia University to begin construction on New York City’s first all-electric academic research building
Columbia University will soon begin construction on New York City’s first all-electric academic research building. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the 80,700-sf building for the university’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons will provide eight floors of biomedical research and lab facilities as well as symposium and community engagement spaces.
K-12 Schools | Apr 10, 2024
Surprise, surprise: Students excel in modernized K-12 school buildings
Too many of the nation’s school districts are having to make it work with less-than-ideal educational facilities. But at what cost to student performance and staff satisfaction?
K-12 Schools | Apr 1, 2024
High school includes YMCA to share facilities and connect with the broader community
In Omaha, Neb., a public high school and a YMCA come together in one facility, connecting the school with the broader community. The 285,000-sf Westview High School, programmed and designed by the team of Perkins&Will and architect of record BCDM Architects, has its own athletic facilities but shares a pool, weight room, and more with the 30,000-sf YMCA.
K-12 Schools | Mar 18, 2024
New study shows connections between K-12 school modernizations, improved test scores, graduation rates
Conducted by Drexel University in conjunction with Perkins Eastman, the research study reveals K-12 school modernizations significantly impact key educational indicators, including test scores, graduation rates, and enrollment over time.
K-12 Schools | Feb 29, 2024
Average age of U.S. school buildings is just under 50 years
The average age of a main instructional school building in the United States is 49 years, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). About 38% of schools were built before 1970. Roughly half of the schools surveyed have undergone a major building renovation or addition.
Performing Arts Centers | Feb 27, 2024
Frank Gehry-designed expansion of the Colburn School performing arts center set to break ground
In April, the Colburn School, an institute for music and dance education and performance, will break ground on a 100,000-sf expansion designed by architect Frank Gehry. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the performing arts center will join the neighboring Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Grand by Gehry, forming the largest concentration of Gehry-designed buildings in the world.
Construction Costs | Feb 22, 2024
K-12 school construction costs for 2024
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for four different types of K-12 school buildings (elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and vocational schools) across 10 U.S. cities.
