The Waterloo Career Center revitalizes part of a 1970s era bunker-like high school into a modern center for Career and Technical Education. Balancing reuse of the physical structure alongside new interventions helped reduce the square footage needed on the addition while also helping reduce the construction timeline and impact to the overall site. The small but impactful 2,500 sf addition provides a powerful new entrance to the building, highlighting an educational program that invites students from neighboring high schools and surrounding communities.
The scale and form of the new addition maintains its cohesion with the existing building, while providing a distinguished modernized exterior from the existing adjacent middle school through weathered steel panels used on exterior. To prevent unwanted heat gain and reduce glare, a steel fin veil at the front entrance permits infiltration of soft morning light into the main entry area and shields harsh afternoon sun. The 77,000 sq. ft. interior renovation supports 15 career training programs in spaces ranging from high-bay labs to collaborative classrooms for cross-disciplinary education. Planning was based on an array of diverse programs including Electrician training, Sustainable Construction, Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Nursing, and Culinary training.
Spatial configurations with the building are designed to offer a high degree of flexibility, supporting program changes in alignment with community needs and student interests. The existing masonry facility provided minimal natural daylight to a mere 1% of the overall floor plan. Daylight strategies were deployed to bring natural light to the interior, thereby elevating the learning environment and achieving a 45% increase in daylight exposure throughout the building.
The roof within the central Main Street corridor was raised to capture uniform north light, accompanied by the integration of skylights above a new central stair, the Heart of the building. Various collaboration spaces positioned around the central stair promote student autonomy and collaboration outside the classroom, while serving as a vital connection between the two stories. Enlarged windows in the second-floor classrooms serve a dual function, enhancing both daylighting and views, which increased from 10% to nearly 56% as part of the project.
The revitalized and modernized career center has continued to grow since completion with enrollment rates increasing each year and a dropout rate that has decreased by 35% since opening. Ideally, it will become a healthy model for other school districts, providing practical, hands-on learning opportunities to more students and increasing the skilled workforce across Iowa.
Category:ArchitectureYear:2024Location: Waterloo, Iowa, USAArchitects:Invision ArchitectureLead Architect:Kathryn PayneClient:Waterloo Career CenterPhotographers:Integrated Studios