At A Glance:
Location: LaPorte, IN
Size: 291,000 sq. ft.
Cost: $34,000,000
Type: Addition, Renovation
Services: Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Technology, Civil, Landscape Architecture, Interiors, Construction Administration
Project Overview
LaPorte Community School Corporation in LaPorte, IN, had two aging middle schools—Boston Middle School and Kesling Middle School—that were causing gaps in the student experience. The administration decided to consolidate the two schools on the existing Kesling Middle School site. At the same time, they added the district’s fifth grade students into the mix.
We helped LPCSC design this combined intermediate and middle school campus, known as Kesling Campus, to accommodate approximately 2,000 students. Fifth and sixth grades are in one building, which is defined as Kesling Intermediate School, and seventh and eighth grades are in the other, defined as LaPorte Middle School. The two buildings are connected, with a multitude of shared spaces utilized by all four grades and staff.
These spaces include a common cafeteria, media center, innovation labs, auditorium, and music rooms. A spacious gathering area, anchored by a stepped seating feature, is a focal point of the interior. The campus also has wide, easily navigable hallways, as well as flexible classrooms, science labs, a ceramics kiln, and three gyms.
Outside, school buses and parent and staff vehicles have ample parking and driving space, with pick-up and drop-off areas for each grade separated for improved safety. And it’s hard to miss the bold orange canopy of the LaPorte Slicers Track and Field Complex, which features a new running track and artificial turf football field.
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