With the implementation of a county-wide sales tax that provided additional funds to public schools across the region, the Mt. Zion school board wanted to invest funds into facilities that bolstered the community's small town traditions.
- 200 Meter, 8 Lane Track
- Long Jump Pit
- 4 Basketball Courts
- 3 Batting Cages
- 1,500 Seat Auditorium
- Lobby
How do we provide ample space for Mt. Zion's award-winning and nationally-recognized show choir groups, the Swingsations and Les Femmes that lacked theater space?
With the high school hosting the annual show choir invitational, an addition was designed to accommodate these groups along with the band and orchestra groups.
The new athletics field house and auditorium within Mt. Zion High School provide ample space for a myriad of academic and civic events.
"BLDD delivered a space that not only helped to motivate, inspire, and propel our students to perform at their best; but that also helped to involve and support our community outside the high school."
- Ben Davis, Athletic Director, Mt. Zion High School
The field house finds use from all members of the community, not just students. The facilities are open before school days begin and during summertime to provide exercise and civic space to the public.
Asymmetric layout and playful ceiling fixtures add a vibrancy to students' usually-repetitive flow between classes.
Three-dimensional wooden facade and ample window lighting assist in breathing natural life into the space, which has been proven to enhance performance within learning environments.
Wide hallways with integrated accessibility ramps provide continuous, unimpeded stress-reducing traffic flow.
The district spent four years working with the community and staff to plan for an expansion and renovation with the goal of meeting the needs of growing enrollment and providing future-focused learning opportunities to students.
Understanding that early childhood students demand a different type of learning environment than their elementary school peers, the City of St. Charles School District established criteria for their new facility that was based on sensory learning, movement, imagination, and nature.
Despite challenges such as rocky terrain and limited usable acreage, the district proceeded, with the new school designed to replace an aging building, which would be repurposed for early childhood education and storage.