Construction Zone: An Amazing Transformation at Webster Groves High School (with related video)

A $21.1 million, four-story addition to Webster Groves High School, St. Louis, will include new classrooms, state-of-the-art science labs, vocational labs, a main band room, private band practice rooms and art studios. The expansion will be built to resemble the look of the existing historic buildings on the campus, including the use of terrazzo floors and steps, and limestone accents.

The vocational lab, which will be on both the ground floor and in the basement of the building, will be served by a freight elevator. The ceiling of the basement will feature high-tech sound and vibration controls to keep lab noise from disrupting activities on the first floor.

The first floor will house the fine-arts programs, which will include visual, instrumental and vocal arts classes. The second floor will house the social- studies programs.

The roof of the building will feature a vegetation area surrounded by a glass curtainwall to be cared for by students. In addition, three 20,000-
gallon outside water-harvesting tanks will be situated at the base of the building for rain collection and irrigation for the field behind the building.

Wight & Company (Darien, Ill.) is architect for the project. S.M. Wilson (St. Louis) is general contractor for the project, which is expected to be completed in fall 2012.

Related Video

Kevin Havens at Wight & Company, speaks about student-centered design.