The Lakeland School System in Lakeland, Tennessee chose to open a new middle school for local families. Previously, students were traveling to neighboring municipalities to attend school, which resulted in overcrowding. A2H served a critical role in the site selection and design for the new school, which houses Grades 5 to 8.

A2H worked with the school district on due diligence and site selection. After the district finalized on a vacant 94-acre parcel, we developed the site development and design package. In partnership with another local firm, A2H also developed the architecture and building engineering design for the 112,186-square-foot school. The two-story facility houses 36 classrooms, an art lab, music rehearsal spaces and practice rooms, a cafetorium, a gymnasium, and administrative offices.

The site plan and building programming were specifically developed to accommodate a new high school on the same 94-acre property. As neighboring high schools are also experiencing overcrowding, the Lakeland School District has plans to open a school for Grades 9 to 12 for Lakeland students to attend. The existing middle school will share many spaces with the new high school, such as the gymnasium and a fixedseating auditorium. In addition to new classrooms, the plan for the future high school includes multiple athletic fields and courts.