COMPANY MARKETS CAPABILITIES PROJECTS NEWS + VIEWS JOIN THE TEAM PROJECTS Cranbrook Kingswood Girls’ Middle School Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 1 / 10 MARKETS Education CAPABILITIES Architecture Engineering Innovation CLIENT Cranbrook Academy PROJECT SIZE 47,000 SF UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE Established in 1922, Cranbrook Schools have a celebrated history of instilling in their students a strong sense of personal and social responsibility and the ability to think critically. Cranbrook’s 319-acre campus is a nationally recognized landmark, comprised of a series of buildings designed by Eliel Saarinen set in a tranquil natural landscape. For most of its existence, Cranbrook’s middle school for girls was housed in the lower level of the original Kingswood School building. Undertaking their first major capital project in decades, the educational community decided to build a new campus designed specifically for girls enduring the most formative stage of their adolescence. As the architect and engineer of record, we worked closely with Cranbrook and the design architect to understand their vision of a school that employs modern technological tools and sustainable design principles, providing an environment where girls feel challenged but supported as they grow. TAILORING THE SOLUTION The single-story, 47,000 SF facility is structured into three grade-designated “clusters” serving 200 students in grades six through eight. Each cluster is home to its own science lab and classrooms for math, English, history and language studies. In addition, each grade has creative areas dedicated to dance, choral music and drama. Shared spaces include a gymnasium, locker room, library, dining hall and a workout facility. In line with Cranbrook’s vision of a sustainable facility, our engineering-driven solution features: utilization of natural light in 75% of the space; refrigerants and HVAC systems that minimize the emission of ozone-depleting compounds; and water savings projected to exceed 40%. SUPPORTING WHAT MATTERS Working in close collaboration with Cranbrook and our partners, we delivered a modern, sustainable campus that embodies the educational community’s mission, complements its neighboring buildings and provides a space where its young students can reach new ground academically and personally. RELATED NEWS Cranbrook Kingswood Girls’ Middle School Receives CAE Design Excellence Award from AIA June 20, 2013 View All News RELATED PROJECTS UNO Soccer Academy Elementary School Chicago, Illinois Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy Chicago, Illinois View All Projects PROJECTS CONTACT VPLANNER NEWS + VIEWS COMPANY MARKETS CAPABILITIES JOIN THE TEAM EMPLOYEE LOGIN Copyright 2021 Ghafari Associates Terms of Use Privacy Policy