Meeting Street Academy

Awarded: Association for Learning Environments (A4LE, formerly CEFPI), Excellence in Design Citation Award, 2014

McMillan Pazdan Smith helped Meeting Street Academy, a private school located in Spartanburg, SC, expand their vision to provide under-resourced families with a life-changing educational opportunity. When the school was founded in 2012 it served only 36 students in grades 3K – 4K with plans to phase in new classes each year. In 2016, Meeting Street Academy entered into a public-private partnership with Spartanburg School District 7 to expand their enrollment and outreach.

The 15,400 SF school consists of a library, media center / computer lab, multi-purpose room, music and art suites, state-of-the-art classrooms, and a playground. The bright and playful interiors engage and stimulate young minds as they travel the hallways. Pictorial wall graphics help convey the mission of the school, while integrated floor patterns and luminous ceilings serve to captivate and spark the imaginations of students and visitors.

The renovated building has helped revitalize the former, underutilized shopping center, the Broadwalk Building, located in the heart of Spartanburg.

“This project feels like a great case study for future charter schools to use for renovating an existing space.” – Awards Judge, A4LE 2014 Design Awards