Q: What was the project’s primary goal?

Gibbs: Based on unprecedented growth in Bismarck Public Schools, a third high school was developed to meet the needs of this growing North Dakota community. Our design creates a flexible and collaborative environment to meet the ever-changing needs of 21st century learners. In order to make the building more learner-friendly, the facility provides two student learning communities (SLCs) with exploratory labs and collaboration rooms designed with interdisciplinary active learning in mind. Incubator spaces for student-run businesses along the upper- and lower-level Marketplace allow students to apply their curriculum to real-life scenarios and create opportunities for partnership with local businesses.

Q: What are some of the project’s key design elements?

Gibbs: The three-story Marketplace, which is the main organizing element of the building, is a multi-activity zone flanked by food service, a café and deli stations; centralized counseling and administration; concessions; and ticketing. It links the academic, athletic and performance spaces. Exploratory Labs designed to showcase the academic focus of each SLC open up to the Marketplace with a high level of transparency to allow observation of activities. Core classrooms and labs flank open, flexible spaces that provide areas for small-group, project-based and applied-learning scenarios. The SLCs flank a three-story glass curtain wall, framing the 50-yard-line view of the school’s new football field and reflecting the district’s commitment to health and wellness.

Q: Were any new technologies included in the design?

Gibbs: A comprehensive wireless network encourages students and staff to use the variety of spaces available both within the SLC and throughout the school. High-definition monitors and projection equipment located throughout the building encourage individual learning as well as group sharing. Technology-focused flexible furniture in a variety of configurations promotes interdisciplinary connections. A student run e-counter offers tech support for students and staff as the district transitions to electronic media on portable devices.

Q: What student or staff feedback did you receive during the design process?

Gibbs: Throughout the master planning and project design processes, hundreds of students, staff, administration and community members were involved in providing key input and feedback. During the design phase, DLR Group led six design charrettes with a core team of 12 administrators, students and staff to establish specific design goals for the new high school. The interactive planning and design process led to a holistic design solution that represents the values of the Bismarck community and created 21st century learning environments for the next generation of students attending Bismarck Public Schools. This is a shift from the traditional didactic, departmentalized structure of their current facilities.

Q: How does this project differ from those DLR Group has completed in the past?

Gibbs: The new Legacy High School embodies the guiding principles articulated by the district to create an environment that is student-centered, highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, transparent and active. The flexible and adaptable spaces provided throughout the facility will meet the variety of needs of 21st century learners by allowing students and staff to easily adapt to work individually, in small groups or in larger groups. The technology infrastructure and the furniture allow those interactions to be technology rich or technology free — depending on the specific needs of the curriculum and the learner. Every space in the building is designed with “multi-purposality” to allow the physical environment to seamlessly adapt to the needs of learners. The building balances the desire for interior transparency with the need for a safe and secure environment through strategic interior glass placement that promotes meaningful relationships between students and staff.

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