North Academy of World Languages K-8 North

Huntersville, North Carolina

Client: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Size: 162,000 square feet (1,320 students with core capacity for 1,480)           

Project Type: K-12 Education

Service: Planning, Architecture, Interior Architecture, Construction Administration

Project Elements: 2-story classroom wings, administration offices, media center, multipurpose and assembly spaces, middle school gymnasium, dance/rehearsal classroom, Visual Arts studio, Music and Choral classrooms, science classrooms, cafeteria and kitchen

Contact: Rob Woodruff, AIA, CDT

Project Description: The North Academy of World Languages was designed to support creativity through comfortable and inviting space – with ample natural lighting, proper acoustical treatment, and the infrastructure to serve 21st Century Learning strategies and provide flexibility as technology evolves. Students ranging from Kindergarten through 8th grade are served within the 160,000 square feet of built area. The school is organized around the easily-accessible common “core” spaces adjacent to the primary entry points. Shared core spaces are organized into academic “neighborhoods” that foster interaction among staff and invite student collaboration. The hallways are arranged to allow direct visual access from the Administration area while providing clear wayfinding from the core to the two-story Elementary and Middle School Classroom wings embracing an 80’ wide courtyard. The wings allow for younger and older students to have their own zones, while shortening the travel time from classrooms to be more convenient to the shared spaces in the building.