“The college didn’t want to give up any classrooms, so we looked at about five different locations,” noted ThenDesign Architecture Project Manager Brad Gellert. “There was an open area on the second floor of the dining and study facility,” Brad recalled. “When we started the project, the school was still implementing COVID-19 social distancing, and they were actually storing tables and chairs along the wall next to the balcony.”
 
The second floor of Building S was ideal for placing the new Veterans Center because it was well-lit with abundant natural light and located adjacent to the Student Service Center. “We captured the natural light from the atrium and brought it into the space,” Brad said. “The frosted glass allows light in but adds some privacy so people don’t feel like they’re in a fishbowl.”
 
ThenDesign Architecture Interior Designer Rhonda Franklin commented on the team effort of the project. “Brad and I helped them realize their vision. We presented ideas for how open or closed the space would feel by showing them different samples of frosted glass. It was absolutely a group process.”
 
To balance brightness with privacy, the computer lab has opaque glass walls, but the top sections are clear.

Brad understood the school wanted to increase lunch participation with a greatly expanded menu and create an inviting space for students to relax and socialize. Since the school district has a reputation for making mindful decisions geared toward long-term benefits, great efforts were made to select durable but easy-to-maintain upgrades, such as the non-slip welded-seam flooring.

“They wanted a servery floor that would last the next forty years,” noted Interior Designer Jeanne Kleckner. “The school district took the extra steps to think through how the space might be used in the future and chose materials and finishes that are equal in quality and durability to the long-lasting finishes that were previously installed. They made some really smart decisions.”

One of the more notable changes to the kitchen was addressing the 75-year-old wall tiles. “Those yellow tiles from the original construction were built to last, and they did,” noted Brad, “But the aesthetic looked like the era it came from. It had a more institutional feel rather than a welcoming timeless space.”

The team agreed that stripping away the tiles was unnecessary, so they were overlaid with high-quality white kitchen sheet vinyl wall protection. This material was installed with heat welds between panels connecting to the floor for a watertight installation. This practical choice helped minimize construction time and the budget without sacrificing durability.

“The columns in the dining area had dark wooden wainscots that had been beaten up over the years,” Brad said. He and Jeanne sat in the dining space to feel out what worked and what did not. They realized the ceiling felt low, and the room seemed cramped. The cause was not the size of the space but the darker colors and materials.

To solve this perception, the columns in the center of the space were covered with a vertically striped white and gray Corian to give the impression of taller ceilings. The columns along the north wall leading to the student commons were covered in woodgrain laminated panels to blend with existing high school building finishes. New lights and an updated ceiling material with a better acoustical value were also installed. An optical illusion gives the impression that the updated ceiling was raised.

Brad commented, “The whole space looks very bright, clean, and open now.”

Jeanne recalled how the design elements blended together. “Clarissa Schroeder on our interiors team found the column material. We realized that if we picked the right colorway, we could seize an opportunity to connect it with existing finishes. The gray stripe pattern in the Corian columns now ties to the metal tile at the concession stand. We added aluminum reveals to the perimeter woodgrain panels, and that finish matches the door hardware throughout the building.”