Photo by Madoline Markham.
Leadership Mountain Brook redesign
Steven Smith of Williams Blackstock Architects discusses design possibilities with Katherine Grace Moore, Anna Matthews and the rest of the Leadership Mountain Brook class.
Mountain Brook High School’s interior should look different in the future, thanks to a group of students.
The Leadership Mountain Brook class is conducting a redesign analysis of the high school lunchroom and student mall area, as requested by Principal Amanda Hood.
Students in the class say they are excited that they will be able to see their ideas used to make lasting change at the school.
“Being a senior this year, I have enjoyed getting to make changes that I have noticed over the past few years that need to be made in order to create a better learning environment,” class member Katie Littleton said. “My favorite part has been shopping online for ideas for the new furniture and planning out potential designs.”
After creating survey and brainstorming solutions based on needs, the class met with architects to receive further direction for their ideas. Steven Smith, vice president of Williams Blackstock Architects, lent his expertise in interior design, while Emily Coe, a graduate architect with the firm, brought both her professional expertise and her experience in the school as a 2001 graduate.
Smith said he was impressed by the students’ level of engagement with the school and their genuine interest in making the environment better not just for themselves, but for the entire student body.
In the mall, the students are envisioning tables that are easier to write on than the current outdoor pieces, a new food kiosk for students who don’t have time to eat lunch, additional seating, a digital clock on school time, device charging stations and water bottle refilling stations.
Smith and Coe helped them think through how to add color and interest to the area by adding carpet tiles underneath furniture groupings to define the space, as well as practical issues such as power and water hookups.
In the lunchroom, students want to be able to better utilize the space with seating. They are trying to add square tables in place of round ones to allow more flexibility in seating group sizes and add artwork from the AP art class to a section of the walls.
Both spaces are multipurpose in function, as students use them to eat, study and socialize, Smith pointed out.
“It was a very pleasant experience, a lively discussion with plenty of interaction, and I certainly hope the students found it helpful in moving the project closer toward the desired result,” Smith said.
The project will culminate in December when the students present their proposal to administrators, the superintendent, the school building facilitator, the PTO board and the Student Government Association.
“The architects taught me there is a lot more to redesigning this space than most of us thought there was,” Littleton said. “I expected it to be a quick project, but they reminded us of many constructional points to think about.”
Leadership Mountain Brook is led by teacher Amber Benson and Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce staff member Hannon Davidson.
