Mount Paran Christian School - Marietta, Georgia
By: Caroline Koenig
Mount Paran Christian School in Marietta, Georgia, began in 1976 as a pre-kindergarten program, sharing space in a local church. Though this arrangement was beneficial when the school first began, it later became a hindrance. Lack of physical space was not allowing the school to fulfill its mission.
As Mount Paran grew to include pre-K through 12th grade, more space became necessary. With a vision that included rapid increases in student enrollment, the time had come to build a new campus. The challenge was creating a design that gave the school plenty of opportunity for growth, inspired students spiritually and intellectually, and kept costs at a reasonable level.
In fall 2003, the independent, co-educational Christian school opened in its new location in Kennesaw near Marietta, just north of Atlanta. Earlier, administrators had selected an attractive 68.7-acre wooded site with rolling hills and a huge lake, which is now used for physical education and science. The master plan, created by Randall-Paulson Architects of Roswell, Georgia, called for three initial buildings--preschool, lower and middle school with campus-wide common facilities, and a high school. It also included athletic fields for baseball, softball, soccer, track and tennis. Today, nearly 950 students are enrolled at Mount Paran.
What most people notice first about the school's new campus is the traditional exterior look. Many schools opt for the "big box," single-story approach, but Mount Paran Christian School administrators wanted two-story buildings modeled on an academic Gothic tradition.
The look is achieved through brick and stone exteriors in an informal arrangement that responds to site features. A main-entry tower with a cross-inlaid window is a focal piece and presents a visual reminder of the school's Christian mission. This cross motif repeats throughout the campus in a stairwell oriented towards the entrance and also in the gymnasium, which is used for chapel.
The preschool building is set apart on the site and presents a smaller-scale, English cottage appeal. All buildings are laid out to be harmonious with the natural site, and care was taken to preserve many of the natural features, including a seven-acre lake and wooded hills surrounding the banks. The structures are arranged in an arc at the edge of a hardwood grove, with athletic facilities to the east in an area that had previously been cow pastures.
The lower and middle school are part of the main building, which provides administrative offices and shared common areas, including two media centers, music areas, dining hall and two gymnasiums. The smaller gym does double duty as both a chapel and meeting space. Instilling balance, the 156,645 square feet of building space is effectively used to maximize shared space while keeping a distinct identity for each school component, with separate entries for each.
Additionally differentiating the spaces are the themed hallways, grouped by grade. Seven different primary colors link to geometric shapes--such as an octagon, rectangle and triangle--for each school level. The color-coded theme translates into the classrooms, and each hallway's special shape is used for bulletin boards and displays. Designers chose bright colors, which extend from the walls down to vinyl composition tile on the floor. The geometrically shaped nodes serve dual functions by mimicking the plan of the sweeping campus layout and serving as pivot points for classroom groups.
Serious time constraints tested the architects, but, in the end, construction was finished in time for fall classes to begin, weighing in at 13 months from contract to completion.
When considering building a project like Mount Paran Christian School, schools should consider the effect on existing and future students. By creating a pleasing environment, schools can attract new students and raise enrollment.
To other schools considering expansion, Project Architect John Carruth has some valuable advice.
"The tendency of a private school client is to cut corners and do lower-quality structures," he said. "Our experience at Mount Paran is a client who was concerned about cost but felt that if you create an attractive and functional facility that's above your average school, you will have the benefit of students wanting to be there."
The architects worked to meet the goal of a low-cost but striking campus and succeeded. Since opening, the school has experienced tremendous growth, leading to an expansion of the master plan to accommodate 1,600 students with a future chapel, separate middle school building and larger high school, doubling the size of the initial one.
The total construction cost of $18.2 million can be broken down to a cost of $18,208 per student, a number that will be offset by the now-soaring enrollment numbers. Existing and potential students are thrilled by the welcoming and wholesome new campus.
Mount Paran administrators are already busy creating future plans for the growing school. In addition to expanding the high school and adding new facilities, benefactors have commissioned the architects to build a performing arts center near the campus. The arts center will have a main stage for concerts and dramatic performances, a black box theater, a dance studio and room for the chorus and school band.
The upcoming Mount Paran Fine Arts Center brings the school closer to its long-term goal, to eventually become a private magnet school for the performing arts. However, the Mount Paran Fine Arts Center will not only be for the school, but open to the entire community.
Randall-Paulson Architects, www.randallpaulson.com, specialize in architecture, interior architecture and design, graphic design, and planning for the childcare, education, government, distribution/light industrial, religious, office and retail markets.
