Whitehaven High School STEM

The STEM building at Whitehaven high school is a two-story building addition to a large, sprawling campus that lacks clean identity and any quality outdoor spaces. The building program includes a STEM lab, classrooms with biology, chemistry, and physics labs, and a robotics “STEMnasium.” The STEM building is designed to be a fun and collaborative space where students can learn and engage with one another as well as invite outside lecturers and stem students to hold robotics competitions.

The exterior of the building is designed as a contextual compliment to the original school, utilizing a similar tone of brick cladding and massing that does not overpower its predecessor. A limited amount of pre-finished metal panels also burnished CMU accent the brick, re-influence the design diagram, and highlight the primary entrance floor the lawn. A covered walkway connects the entrance of the STEM building to the existing buildings on the site. The interior includes informal gathering spaces where conversations occur outside of the class. Limited accent colors and wood flooring bring both energy and warmth to the interior atmosphere. The “STEMnasium” is designed to be a collaborative and fun space where students can explore and test their ideas. While a more “industrial” space features exposed structure and glazed garage doors opening to both the interior lobby and exterior. The walls within the “STEMnasium” are designed with graphics to reinforce the application or scientific principles within a full and colorful space.