Indian Hill Exempted Village School District is located on the outskirts of Cincinnati, Ohio. Despite being less than 20 miles from downtown and surrounded by suburban developments, the village has a rural feel, filled with rolling hills, elegant estates, horse paths, and wooded parks.

Featuring nature motifs would be a design detail that our team and the school district agreed on early in the planning phase. Color, texture, and materials would all play a role in depicting a serene nature-filled atmosphere that plays off the Village of Indian Hill.

Our Graphics Department worked extensively with leadership, students, and locals to understand their educational philosophy and goals to effectively implement these into their physical spaces. Featuring nature motifs would be a design detail that MSA and the school district agreed on early in the planning phase. Color, texture, and materials would all play a role in depicting a serene nature-inspired atmosphere that plays off the surrounding Village of Indian Hill. The environmental graphics throughout the schools were intentionally crafted to evolve with the students as they grow through the various learning spaces. More playful graphics can be seen throughout the primary school for the younger students to engage with, and these graphics mature as the student ages throughout the different school buildings.

The Primary School hosts grades K-2 and their original 1960s-era school building was in need of some updates to support the school districts goals. The building underwent an extensive renovation including updates to the lobby and entryway, auditorium, and a refresh to their brand elements which reflect the school district as a whole.

Additionally, each school had custom, age-appropriate graphics that contribute to the education of the student. Our graphic designers worked with school staff to determine what could be featured in our graphic murals that could play a role in their teaching curriculum. For example, a sensory playhouse was designed after a nature scene which serves as a multi-use space whether it’s teaching lessons or play time for the Primary School. Teachers can use the graphics in the space as pieces in certain lessons or assignments for the students. Water, earth, and sky were a common theme in the environmental graphics throughout all the Indian Hill Schools.

It was pivotal for our internal teams to collaborate to provide the client with exceptional design solutions for their students and staff. To compliment the interiors use of wood, natural tones of greens and blues, and organic shapes, our Graphics Department continued the natural scheme by designing murals and signage that unified this theme with key aspects of the Indian Hill brand and identity.

The sensory playhouse depicts animals native to the greater region of Ohio. The wall was also designed to have a “bush” with ladybugs, caterpillars, and butterflies that all have textural and kinetic elements for students to interact with. These animals can also be seen in a mural down the hall that encompasses the overarching theme - water, earth, and sky. Our team even worked with a local artist and fabricator to produce the murals and the interactive pieces.

Much of the school district’s goals in the renovation projects of their schools centered around offering more STEM resources to their students at all ages. In all the STEM spaces of the schools, our team thought it was only fitting to focus on the “sky” theme as science and engineering are critical in space travel and exploration. Neil Armstrong had even lived in Indian Hill, so the client especially loved the “sky” theme focusing on outer space. Throughout a highly visible corridor, wall graphics were applied that depict the planets of our solar system in order. As students walk through the corridor, they are journeying through the solar system. The teachers can use this as an educational tool as well.