Dake Wells Architecture

Reeds Spring Middle School

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

REEDS SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dake Wells Architecture

AREA
79358 ft²

PRODUCTS USED IN THIS PROJECT
Fiber Cements / Cements

MANUFACTURERS
Equitone, Efco, Midwest Block & Brick

MEP ENGINEERING
Malicoat-Winslow Engineers, P.C.

CATEGORY
Elementary & Middle School

CIVIL ENGINEERING
White River Engineering

ENERGY CONSULTING
Group 14 Engineering

YEAR
2017

ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT
Bruce Moore, AIA

TRAFFIC CONSULTANT
CJW Transportation Consultants

LOCATION
Reeds Spring, United States

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Mettemeyer Engineering, LLC.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Dewitt & Associates, Inc.

Text description provided by architect.

The design approach for the Reeds Spring Middle School denies the conventional act of scraping the site clean, flattening the hilltops and destroying the natural character of the site.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

Instead, the building is strategically positioned at the edge of a 150 acre wooded site to lightly nestle into a hillside and gracefully flow down the valley in the heart of the Ozarks.

The heavily wooded site and steep topography were preserved to allow this state of the art school to seemingly emerge from the landscape.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

A competition gymnasium and a 1,000 seat auditorium are buried in the hillside, secured with a 480’ long retaining wall, and topped with a vegetated roof for maximum storm safety in this tornado prone area.

A three-story classroom wing lines the trees and has operable glass walls, charging stations and collaboration spaces to connect students to each other and to the world.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

A cascading stair in the three-story atrium flows through the center of the building and attracts occupants for informal learning, social activities and lunchtime.

The design accommodates the districts push for state of the art technology integration, collaborative learning environments, and tornado safety all in one facility.

The classroom building features an outdoor classroom accessible from each floor as well as flexible spaces designed for collaborative learning.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

Marker boards, wireless access points, and convenient charging stations for devices are scattered throughout the building.

Standing-height countertops with technology integration, soft seating and operable partitions encourage the notion that learning happens everywhere.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

Team teaching is also supported in these collaboration spaces for multi-class gatherings and group projects.

The design was inspired by the district’s desire to be “environmentally ethical” and to preserve the natural environment.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

The project was designed to meet a site EUI of 36.2 kBtu/sf/yr, and saves 29.9% of energy cost over the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 baseline.

This theme permeated the collaborative design process and the four elements of the design solution that emerged - the cave, the bluff, the stream and the shed - all common elements found in the Ozark landscape.

The retaining wall (bluff) breaks open in two locations for access into the gym and auditorium (caves).

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

Along the bluff runs a three-story cascading stair (stream) that is flooded with daylight and is a natural gathering place for social activities.

The classroom wing (shed) is one of the only visible signs of construction and houses the collaborative and ever evolving learning spaces.

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Gayle Babcock, Architectural Imageworks

The series of wood slat guardrails mediates between the classroom wing and atrium while recalling the verticality of the trees beyond.


Reeds Spring Middle School
© Ally Jeppsen
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Ally Jeppsen
Reeds Spring Middle School
© Ally Jeppsen

Reeds Spring Middle School
© Ally Jeppsen


Reeds Spring Middle School
Longitudinal Section
Reeds Spring Middle School
Cross Section


Reeds Spring Middle School
Section Details
Reeds Spring Middle School
Exploded Axonometric


Reeds Spring Middle School
Floor Plans
Reeds Spring Middle School
Site Plan


Dake Wells Architecture
T +1 833 5184545
Dake Wells Architecture
134 Park Central Square #300, Springfield, MO 65806, United States