The Indian Hill Exempted Village School District selected MSA to assess the existing facilities and to develop a strategic Master Plan for the District.

MSA collaborated with various stakeholder groups, including students, faculty, and community members, to identify the primary goals and objectives and create visions for the future improvements at all three of the campuses.

MSA designed a new Middle School adjacent to the existing High School on the same campus, aiming to cultivate a welcoming environment that fosters community engagement, curiosity, creativity, and sustainability while igniting students’ passion for learning. Emphasizing connection with nature, the design prioritizes sustainability and integrates outdoor project patios accessible from shared common spaces surrounding core academic classrooms for each grade, fostering distinct ‘neighborhoods’ within the school. A central community commons facilitates collaboration and houses various community-focused areas such as STEM labs, digital technology studios, and learning cafes. Additionally, the project entails enhancing outdoor learning and play spaces and reconfiguring entry plazas and parking areas to improve security, access, and traffic flow on the campus.

This project consisted of demolition of the existing Indian Hill middle school building and rebuilding a brand-new facility for their 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. The 123,000 square foot building is nestled between their existing gymnasium and a shared auditorium connected to the Indian Hill high school. A few of the primary goals and objectives with the new school were to make it more welcoming and inviting, engage the community, spark curiosity, foster creativity and innovation and provide a place that will inspire students to discover their passion for learning. Similar to the Primary and Elementary schools, there was also a desire to connect with nature and make the new building as highly sustainable as possible.

One of the primary drivers to the configuration of the new building is the development of the learning community. The concept of a ‘Village’ was used to organize the spaces in this program. A central hub named ‘The Village Green’ is a space for students to gather, collaborate, and pass through. All other programs in the building branch off this center hub. Core academic classrooms for each grade are organized around shared common spaces with direct access to outdoor project patios. Each cluster of spaces creates a separate “neighborhood” for each grade. The neighborhoods are then organized around a central community commons that contains various other community-focused areas, including STEM project labs, digital technology studios, learning cafes, and student and faculty collaboration spaces.

The project also includes improvements to the outdoor learning and play spaces and reconfigures entry plazas and parking areas to address issues with security and access as well as with overall traffic flow in and around the campus.

Initially, our firm was hired to assess the existing 1960’s era Performing Arts facility which connects the Middle School and the High School. MSA led engagement sessions with the various stakeholders to develop a master plan that will accommodate future needs. Our team assisted the District in implementing a 10-year master plan. Projects for the Performing Arts facility included lighting, sound, and technology upgrades, stage and pit improvements, lobby and house renovations, and a new addition with large scene shop, costume and lighting shop, multi-purpose dressing rooms, green room, and theater storage.