Borrego Springs Unified School District sits in one of California’s most unique communities—tucked within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and serving just 345 students across three schools. But when the district set out to modernize its high school for the first time in more than 30 years, the goal was anything but small. With the support of an $8.6 million community bond, Borrego Springs partnered with KI to create flexible classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, and a vibrant new library designed to support career-focused learning and prepare students for life after graduation.

As Upper Merion Area High School officials set out to design and furnish their newly constructed building, they kept one guiding philosophy in mind: learning can happen anywhere, not just in the classroom. From dynamic commons areas and flexible science labs to collaborative hallways and thoughtfully designed teacher planning centers, each space was intentionally designed to support connection, creativity, and discovery. Working alongside school administrators, KI helped bring this vision to life with adaptable furnishings that empower both students and educators throughout the building.

The feelings of a child experiencing each moment of life are robust and alive. It is this essence of whimsy and the joy of learning that is captured in the design of the new Early Excellence Academy, a learning environment to serve the earliest learners of Tomball ISD. DLR Group’s design is rooted in biophilic elements that evoke curiosity and connection to the natural world. With a design concept centered on scale and growth, an immersive experience takes the learner through the space. Careful consideration to create a physical environment that engages the user in their surroundings affords the learner and educator the opportunity to use the school as a tool for learning. This innovative environment inspires wonder and discovery through an educational journey that is founded in creative imagining. Research-based design strategies incorporated into each learning pod support the specific needs of early childhood learners.

Marco Partners with Heart of America to Transform Eleanor Roosevelt School's Library The Challenge Existing library retrofit with multiple entry points and sightline challenges. • Staff needed clear visibility across the entire space for supervision. • Central location within the school required a design that looked cohesive from every angle. • Outdated furniture created a dreary, uninspiring environment.