HSE High School Courtyard

Client: Hamilton Southeastern Schools
Project: HSE High School Courtyard Addition
Completed: August 2010

The HSE high school, having crowded hallways and limited cafeteria and other flexible spaces, considered in-filling an existing courtyard to help meet the needs of student activities. The Courtyard Addition consists of two adjacent main spaces:  A two-story ‘gallery’, and a one-story cafeteria seating expansion. The gallery functions as both a large corridor as well as being large enough to function as a gathering space or a practice space for after-school activities.  The large cafeteria seating expansion alleviates crowding from the adjacent main cafeteria, while providing views to the remaining courtyard.

Architecturally, the 4,300 sf gallery utilizes a large two-story curtainwall to fill the area with abundant natural light. Steel tubes, two of which are also utilized as roof drains, march along the curtainwall setting a structural rhythm to the space. Exposed steel trusses create a ceiling treatment which is consistent with other spaces in the high school, as well as being highly economical. Care was taken to study the relationship of the existing (formerly exterior) two-story brick wall which becomes an interior wall opposing the new curtainwall. 

An existing stair which was surrounded in glass looking to the exterior, has become an interior stair with its main landing looking into the two-story gallery. The 5,600 sf cafeteria seating expansion was treated similarly with steel truss construction. The long glass south wall of the cafeteria was treated with exterior horizontal sun shades to minimize the heat-load that glazing will receive.  Overall, much thought was put into making this space highly functional and highly economical while architectural details were considered to make it a high-quality design.