At MWHS, we strive to be innovative in all of our designs and developments, but it’s not every day that one of these projects is recognized on a national level! The Two Creeks Outdoor Classroom, built in 2014 at Lamar Station Crossing, was the recipient of the 2017 Ideas2 Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).
AISC’s Ideas2 Awards recognize projects where structural steel has been utilized in an innovative manner. The Outdoor Classroom was recognized alongside huge projects, including the Four World Trade Center in New York. The classroom, built in partnership with CU’s Design Build Workshop, was constructed using concrete, steel and bricks. Security was paramount in the design and the structure is both transparent and graffiti-proof. The classroom is used by residents and the Two Creeks community for events and classes. It also has built in storage spaces to store Lamar’s gardening supplies for the onsite community gardens.
One judge, David Allen of the U.S. District Court, said, “The steel structure is a creative solution to a difficult program requirement to provide both opacity and transparency simultaneously.”
Charlie Carter, president of AISC, commented, “This design really draws you in. It’s the site I wish we had every nice day back when I was in college and we would ask if we could hold the class outside.”
The awards ceremony was held in the Two Creeks Outdoor Classroom with representatives from AISC, headquartered in Chicago, present to give the award.
