Northwest Allen County School Corporation has had a history of recreating successful floor plans for its elementary and middle schools as it has grown.  This concept creates parity across their elementary and middle school facilities.  The design for the district’s third middle school started similarly.  The Owner and design team quickly realized that much had changed in education over twenty years, and as a result, the planning for Willow Creek Middle School changed course.

The school’s overall planning and organizational concepts stayed the same. Still, the program was adapted to provide additional focus for the district’s Applied Skills and SPED programs and to create additional spaces for specialized classes like PTLW, computer programming, science, and other advanced project-based course offerings.

The school is organized to provide separate classroom wings for grades six, seven, and eight and the gymnasium. This radial concept allows the plumbing and water distribution to be kept tight to the center of the building, creating efficient design and notable initial cost savings.  The HVAC systems consist of a four-pipe system with boilers, a chiller, and ducted classroom unit ventilators that provide a very comfortable learning environment.

The facility is located on a 130-acre site that spans a mile between Shoaff and McComb roads. Site amenities include a football stadium that will seat 1250, an eight-lane track, four tennis courts, six pickleball courts, practice soccer, practice football, and practice baseball fields. Should growth continue as projected, this site will also provide NACS with additional building opportunities.