Dedicated to the celebration of the fine arts, the St. Croix Central High School Campus aspires to create a safe place of belonging, culture, and community for teaching and learning on the island of St. Croix. The design framework for the eleven-building campus responds to the vernacular architecture of the islands and is inspired by traditional song form. The progression through the campus is informed by the parts of a song—an intro, chorus, and verse, that lead to the bridge, or architecturally speaking, the theater and heart of the campus. A musical bridge is a passage that serves as a link between two sections of a song. Conceptually and with physical bridges, the theater links the North and South ends of the campus.
The campus is organized in a predominant N-S orientation but with strategic E-W avenues and breezeways to maximize opportunities for passive cooling. Upon arrival, one’s journey through the campus is guided by the central ‘Harmony Walk,’ a lyrical passage that weaves through the campus, to provide space for casual interactions, outdoor learning, respite/reflection, assembly, and performance. |
Total Square Feet: 164,495
Grades: 9-12 Number of Students: 1,087 |
Architectural follies, sprinkled the full length of the Harmony walk, provide playful, more sheltered zones for small group and individual work. To support greater comfort margins and provide shelter in inclement weather, shade structures have been thoughtfully integrated between buildings and all along the Harmony Walk.
The intentional siting of the theater and supporting amphitheater, place arts and performance at the heart of the campus. Site circulation and access to the theater, with parking on the North, East, and South sides, is designed to position the building as a community amenity. To reinforce a campus curriculum embedded in the arts, distributed space for arts and performance is provided in every building. |