Franklin High School
Reisterstown, Md.
GWWO, Inc./Architects

Disparate materials and light weave a subtle web of old and new

© Ron Solomon

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The program for this project called for a 51,000-square-foot addition to an existing 150,000-square-foot high school. The new building includes classrooms, laboratories, art and athletic facilities, and a library/media center to serve the entire student population. Beyond creatively responding to programmatic requirements, the design team was charged with masking the existing school service areas from public view, maintaining existing parking volume, and creating a common entry point for the new facility as well as the existing complex.

Siting the new building at the existing parking area created an opportunity to enhance and unify the facility, while responding to each of these challenges. By presenting a continuous facade to the main entry, the new addition unifies the three buildings at the southwest portion of the site—the existing shop building, the existing school building and the new addition—while also screening the service areas from view. The curve of the south facade maximizes parking on the site, while reducing the perceived length of the corridor within the classroom wing. A new lobby on the north side of the building presents a clear entry to the new building and clarifies the sequence of approach to the existing building along an extended, existing covered walkway.

The materials chosen for the exterior enable the addition to blend with the existing building and to contribute to the overall impression of unity. The translucent panel system that surrounds the two stair towers works with the transparent walls of the main lobby to create a beacon, drawing visitors towards the main entrance and into the complex.

Formal name of Project:
Franklin High School - Addition

Location:
Reisterstown, Md.

Gross square footage:
51,000 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$6.2 million

Owner:
Baltimore County Public Schools
9610 Pulaski Park Drive
Suite 204
Baltimore, MD 21220

Architect:
GWWO, Inc./Architects
800 Wyman Park Drive
Suite 300
Baltimore, MD 21211
T: 410.332.1009
F: 410.332.0038
www.gwwoinc.com