Orwell, Ohio
The Grand Valley Elementary/Middle/High School, which occupies a building footprint of nearly six acres, is nestled on a ninety-five acre site in rural Orwell, Ohio. When constructed it was the largest K-12 school building in the state of Ohio.
One school building serving the needs of an entire school district was the design task. Educational program requirements for maintaining separation between the different grade levels were premier. Common spaces helped to delineate and define the three educational areas of the school. These spaces, such as the three gymnasiums, auditeria (which combines the aspects of both an auditorium and a cafeteria), elementary dining with stage, and common kitchen, were used as the dividing elements. Consideration was given to how this facility operates after the end of the traditional school day, and how three educational wings can be secured while evening practices, athletic events, stage performances and other community activities occur. A sky-lit main entry lobby with a 20-foot wide hall welcomes the middle and high school students. The kindergarten and elementary students have a separate entrance in a portion of the school furthest away from the older students.
The auditeria gathering and performance space has a full stage, complete with rigging and equipped with sound and lighting systems for theatrical and musical productions. Some three hundred individual chairs are set for these special school functions. During the traditional school day, this space is set with rolling tables and chairs for student dining.
Three grade level specific media centers, three computer laboratories, a computer-assisted drawing (CAD) laboratory, three music rooms, three art rooms, five science laboratories, and 88 classrooms are all fitted with today’s educational technology, including fiber optic cabling.
Completion Date: August 2005
Square Footage: 245,568
