KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary

Antioch is in a unique position in terms of its relationship to Nashville’s growth. It isn’t suburban in the traditional sense but straddles the line between urban and rural. From our first visit to the project site, we felt that the architecture should speak to that dichotomy.

As we became more familiar with the program and KIPP’s educational approach, one primary theme really resonated with us. Thoughts around the clustering of classrooms, enrichment rooms, counseling rooms, and admin spaces lead to this idea of “neighborhoods.”  We imagined the enrichment classrooms as the town square. They became an organizational feature that informed a kind of hierarchy among interior spaces and exterior building elements.

While the relationship between individual building functions created hierarchy, responses to the site itself informed larger scale architectural decisions. The building was required by code to be located along Murfreesboro Pike. As a result, classrooms have views to the North and South creating optimal conditions for maximizing access to natural light. We introduced a series of architectural sunshades to mitigate overexposure on the South and West sides of the building. These site responses yielded the distinctive and varied look and feel of the building.

Even though the build’s response to program and site conditions is essential, we kept the children front of mind. How could a facility of this scale create a sense of welcome and exude youthful optimism? North and South entrances became the “front and back porch.” Canopies with deep overhangs compress space to the scale of the students and provide protection from the elements.  Interior spaces are brightened with skylights and pops of color. Common areas are flanked by large windows with views of the outdoors.

2020 AIA Middle Tennessee Merit Award
2022 AIA Tennessee Award of Merit