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Not Your One-Room Schoolhouse

The two-level academic portion of the building includes over 124 classrooms and teaching stations. The academic area is flexibly designed to accommodate traditional departmentalized instruction, grade-level and interdisciplinary teaming, various schools-within-a-school approaches, and individualized and small-group instruction.

A 14,000-square-foot (1300-square-meter) media center anchors the academic realm. This award-winning media center features high ceilings and tall windows, creating a bright, spacious hub for research, instruction, and independent study.

Surrounding the media center's main reading room is a large "neighborhood" of classrooms, labs, and storage rooms. Educational technology includes a variety of computer labs for writing, computer science, CAD drafting, and applied technology. Each classroom is configured to expand to up to 30 data ports.

Other specialized spaces within the academic area include large art rooms with separate storage areas for supplies and kilns; a photography classroom with an adjacent darkroom; a duplex of classrooms for family and consumer science coursework, including large demonstration areas; and an early-childhood education classroom with a loft and a fenced-in playground.

The academic wing surrounds a large, landscaped courtyard accessible from classrooms and the cafeteria. The courtyard provides a secure environment for students to socialize, have lunch, or participate in outdoor classes. The courtyard also functions to bring daylight into the surrounding classrooms.

The 23,500-square-foot (2200-square-meter) cafeteria offers both traditional and fast-food service options. In addition to the main kitchen, which accommodates 800, a smaller kitchen is available for after-hours use and community meetings. The administrative office suite is positioned between the front entry of the building and the cafeteria.

Actors and Athletes

A special focus on the performing arts is evidenced in the public wing of the building, which includes a 1030-seat auditorium with a recessed orchestra pit and full fly loft. Support spaces include a suite of music rooms, a large greenroom adjacent to the stage, a props room with a wood floor to support construction activities, a mirrored choreography room with a polished wood floor, and ample storage for costumes and props.

Physical education and fitness are important to the Chesterton High School program. Over 113,000 square feet (10,500 square meters) of facilities include gyms, an indoor running track, a variety of fitness room, and a competition swimming pool.

The building encompasses 10.6 acres (4.3 hectares) of space under roof and is equipped with an energy-efficient, campus-style heating and cooling system allowing for zoned control. Throughout the interior, ground-face concrete masonry block provides a durable, low-maintenance surface. Extensive use of steel products throughout the building, including the metal roof, reflects the local community's industrial base.

In 2001, Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. also won the Crow Island Award and the Shirley Cooper Award for educational architecture projects.

The media center of award-winning Chesterton High School features high ceilings and tall windows: a spacious hub for research and independent study. Photo: Emery Photography, Inc. The media center of award-winning Chesterton High School features high ceilings and tall windows: a spacious hub for research and independent study. Photo: Emery Photography, Inc. Chesterton High School's outdoor athletic complex includes a precast concrete grandstand for football and track, fields for softball, baseball and soccer, and three outbuildings with press boxes, concessions, and locker rooms. Photo: Emery Photography, Inc. The ground floor of Chesterton High School is designed to accommodate both students and local residents. Image: Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. Upper floor plan. Image: Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. The school's industrial arts area, with machine shop, wood shop, and auto mechanics shop also serve the adult education programs in the evenings. Photo: Emery Photography, Inc. The 1030-seat auditorium has a fly loft, orchestra pit, acoustic shell, and sound and lighting systems. Photo: Emery Photography, Inc. Movable walls in the academic classrooms allow for individual classes or group exercises. Photo: Emery Photography, Inc.   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.