The Thaden School project emerges from a comprehensive understanding of its needs and aspirations, encapsulating a visionary spatial program that seamlessly integrates both interior and exterior spaces. The spatial layout is meticulously crafted to adhere to the vision that the school might provide a learning environment beyond benchmarks and standards, a place where landscape and buildings might work together in a closed loop of production and consumption—the goal being not to just outperform comparable buildings but rather to tell a story about building performance that would invite users to understand systems in play at every scale.
The innovative "Wheels," "Meals," and "Reels" program pedagogy of Thaden always envisioned a curriculum where students would apply what they learned in the classroom outside the classroom in hands-on application. In this spirit, school leadership looked to supplement student experiences with participation in local community programming. For this reason, the master planning process was kicked off with a gathering of nearly thirty individuals from the school’s leadership, the design staff, and more than a dozen community and nonprofit organizations.
Architecturally, the campus blends contemporary design with local agricultural elements, paying homage to the region's heritage and fostering a sense of community. Material, structural, and construction innovations enhance sustainability, including reclaimed materials and geothermal wellfields. Environmental objectives drive the project, focusing on ecological restoration, water conservation, and stormwater management. The campus serves as a living laboratory for native plants and sustainable practices, fostering outdoor education and community engagement.