Westfield High School

When the community supported WWS in their endeavor to address growing facility needs throughout the district with approval of a referendum, the largest allocation was put toward expanding the existing high school. Administrators saw this as an opportunity to not only address the needs of growing programs and an aging building, but to transform its education model and align the built environment with their pedagogical vision.

CSO studied existing facility use and programming information to quantify space utilization and projected student and program growth. Using CSO’s data, administrators decided to make the leap to a university model of education, allowing them to increase building efficiency and maximize the use of their budget to benefit as many parts of the building and programs as possible. In addition to this shift in space usage, WHS sought to accommodate growing demand for career ready programs, provide flexible areas for student use, and create spaces where students would want to spend time. All new and renovated spaces were designed to easily adapt to future program needs by minimizing built-in fixtures and maximizing use of mobile and flexible furniture. CSO worked closely with WHS to establish an aesthetic that mirrored the new educational direction with a high-tech, industrial feel while maintaining subtle touches that are distinctly Westfield.

The collaborative process between WHS and CSO and in-depth programming was critical to the success of this project. This approach allowed WHS to accomplish so much more than a traditional approach to projected growth would have allowed. The resultant custom tailored building will better support today’s students and staff in their endeavors and allow WHS to adapt to an unknown future much more readily and rapidly.

Noblesville High School

With school enrollment at full capacity – and projected to remain so for many years to come – the expansion and renovation will address general capacity needs while supporting the district’s nationally recognized STEM and performing arts programs.

A 70,000 square foot academic addition will include up to 22 new classrooms, construction and welding labs, STEM makerspace, new student café, and a large group gathering space. 37,000 square feet of renovations will provide a larger jazz band room, a new percussion room, and an expanded choir room.

This project, along with an athletic expansion currently underway, is the latest in CSO’s long history with Noblesville Schools. CSO previously designed Noblesville High School’s Freshman Academy in 2014, as well as numerous other projects dating back to 2012.

The athletic expansion is expected to be completed in August of 2024, with the STEM/performing arts expansion finishing up by August of 2025.

Plainfield High School

CSO was engaged to help staff and students visualize and design spaces for student collaboration, hands-on learning and their expanding performing arts programs. Through a strategic engagement process, designers gleaned invaluable insights into students needs, including an emphasis on the importance of spaces for student agency and informal gathering. The resulting design reflects a sense of place that is highly unique to Plainfield High School.

Once completed, the additions and renovations will address critical improvements and expansions for Science, PLTW, Band, Choir, and Orchestra programs in addition to creating a new student-centered space; ‘The Quaker Commons’.

This space will house student meeting rooms, a formal presentation space, multiple innovation labs, a quiet study room, technology resource center, TV and podcast studios, and the ‘Quaker Café’ – a student run coffee shop. This space was specifically designed to create a space where students felt they belonged and could find resources to explore new subjects, technologies, and ideas. With these additions and renovations PCSC continues its commitment to ensuring students are career, college, and life ready.