“ Moveable furniture and varying room sizes allow the space to evolve over time, keeping pace with new curriculum demands and instructional trends,” Breakey says.“ We believe a school should be able to grow with its students, not grow out of its usefulness.”
Thrasher also prioritized sustainability and stewardship when planning the Alderson Elementary project.
“ At Alderson, we employed adaptive reuse, repurposing a structurally sound historic building rather than building new,” Breakey says.“ That choice not only preserved a beloved community asset but also reduced material waste and embodied carbon.”
Like Krason says about ZMM’ s projects, Breakey says Thrasher views the building itself as a teaching tool, using visible systems and design elements to help students engage with ideas like energy efficiency, history and environmental stewardship.
Breakey also touches on the competitive bid process that goes into school building projects.
“ Well-developed construction documents are key as they reduce ambiguity, help control costs and make it easier for contractors to price the work accurately,” he says.“ For school projects especially, that attention to detail ensures smoother execution and fewer surprises down the line.”
Like ZMM and Thrasher, the Mills Group recognizes that school buildings must be more than functional. On Davis & Elkins College’ s( D & E) campus, the Myles Center for the Arts and Myles Plaza has become a hub for student life, performance and community engagement. The $ 6.6 million expansion and renovation project was funded by D & E Emerita June Myles and designed by the Mills Group.
“ The Myles Center serves as a major hub of the D & E campus,” says Michael Mills, AIA, managing principal of the Mills Group.“ One wing of the complex is the natatorium, and the other is the main auditorium. The Mills Group aided the college to create a vibrant art department in the lower level consisting of a print shop, ceramic studio, painting studio and digital design classrooms. The design elements were student driven, providing for areas to store personal supplies and display finished works and planning for flexible working environments for the specific media of art.”
Mills says the project focused on transparency, allowing prospective students to see the studios without disrupting classes. This is an important aspect of recruitment and fundraising for the college.
The Mills Group design team most recently reimagined the student forum that connects the pool and auditorium, creating a glass-enclosed addition that nearly doubled its size. The updated space can now accommodate more than 350 people. The addition of an elevator also ensured full ADA accessibility throughout the complex.
Sustainability and flexibility were guiding principles for the Mills Group as well.
“ The design needed to be on a single level for it to be a truly flexible space,” Mills says.“ We integrated lighting and sound systems to serve groups of multiple sizes and at different times of the day. The furniture matters, too. Having no fixed seating and furniture systems that change and move easily is key. Controls for HVAC and lighting are also important.”
While West Virginia faces ongoing challenges in education, projects like these show how thoughtful design can be a catalyst for change. They shape how students learn and teachers teach and bring communities together to support the next generation. •
Photo by Mills Group.
Photo by Mills Group.
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