Award-Winning Lenawee Christian School Design: Sustainable Innovation

Lenawee Christian School, a 108,000 sq ft award-winning educational facility designed in 1985 by Dean Kahremanis at SSOE to accommodate up to 700 students. Funded by Orville Merillat's $10M gift, this neuroscience-infused architecture features separated grade wings, natural daylighting via skylights, custom curved brick masonry, and energy-saving design that cut costs while fostering student focus and separation for pre-K to high school.

Design awards:

Masonry Medalist Honor Award Winning Masonry Structure, recognized nationally in 1988.

Honor Award Winner For Excellence In Masonry Design, recognized regionally in 1987 by the Masonry Institute of Northwestern Ohio and the Toledo Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

  • Over a period of two weeks, numerous ideas were drawn and rigorously tested against the project vision. Amidst this iterative process, a pivotal moment occurred unexpectedly. While watching a baseball game, the complete design concept for Lenawee Christian School came into clear focus as a vision. Within four hours, this vision was translated into detailed drawings and developed into the design solution that forms the foundation of the architect’s initial concept sketches. This breakthrough consolidated the project's goals and set the direction for subsequent development phases.

  • Orville Merillat defined the following objectives:

    • To build an educational facility to accommodate pre-kindergarten through high school,

    • To drive completely around the entire facility without observing a front or back of the building,

    • To maintain separation of the pre–k/kindergarten, grade school, junior high & senior high students,

    • To provide views and natural day lighting for classrooms, and 5) To create two separate building entrances - one for pre-k, kindergarten and grade school, and another entrance for junior high and senior high school students.

    To achieve this vision, a central core of shared functional areas was created (gymnasium, library, music room, offices...etc). Projecting out from the central core, four separate classroom wings provide separation for each grade group.

  • A combination of brick veneer and limestone horizontal-oriented bands encompasses the entire educational facility, creating a striking balance between texture and tone. The brickwork is enhanced by custom curved brick veneer applied in several key areas, adding fluidity and visual interest to the building’s façade. The installation of these complex curves was made possible by a tool designed specifically for the project by a Europe-born mason with extensive experience in masonry. This innovative tool allowed for precise placement of bricks in a radial pattern, ensuring both structural integrity and aesthetic continuity throughout the curved sections. The integration of these materials and techniques results in a facility that is both durable and architecturally distinctive.

  • Curved exterior walls, crafted from custom brick masonry and limestone, gently define the covered building entrances. These walls roll inward seamlessly, transitioning into expansive storefront glass and entrance doors. This design approach not only creates an inviting covered entry experience but also maximizes the penetration of natural daylight into the lobby areas, enhancing the interior ambiance with warmth and openness.

  • Research shows remote workers feel isolated, so we partnered with Cisco WebEx to deliver advanced mobile workstations and video conferencing for hybrid offices. Cisco’s technology shaped our Hybrid Office of the Future design, enhancing communication between on-site and remote teams.

  • Natural daylighting significantly reduces monthly energy costs by minimizing the dependence on artificial lighting during daytime hours. Skylights installed in all corridors channel abundant natural light into adjacent classrooms, creating a well-lit environment that enhances student learning abilities. This infusion of daylight not only fosters a more stimulating and comfortable atmosphere but also contributes to lower electricity consumption, promoting sustainability and operational savings throughout the school year.