This independent boy's school in Chattanooga wanted to add a middle school to its existing college preparatory program. While they already had a "junior school" for grades 7 and 8, it functioned in the shadow of the upper school and was overcrowded.

It was critical that the new school not only accommodate the team concept of middle school learning, but also reflect McCallie's desire to provide students with informal gathering spaces and outdoor recreation areas.

The new school is organized along a diagonal atrium spine. At the heart of the school, opening off the spine, are a library/resource center and a "forum"--a flexible gathering space where students can meet for lectures, performances, or study groups. Each grade level shares four classrooms and a science room and is clustered around an entry area containing wooden cubbies for knapsack and bookbag storage.

Located on McCallie's entrance drive, the middle school reflects the traditional design of older campus buildings. Landscaped plazas provide informal recreation space, separate from the upper school.