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Madison Metropolitan School District embarked on a multi-phased renovation project across all of their K-12 schools. The challenge was twofold: updating the spaces to create 21st century learning environments, while preserving the integrity and historical features of these existing school buildings.

In addition to maintaining the historical character of the buildings, the district also wanted to create flexible, inclusive spaces that catered to different learning preferences and student needs. They focused on updating common areas such as cafeterias, libraries, and collaborative spaces to mimic a college campus environment, helping students transition more easily to higher education settings.

“Our 9-12 educational furniture project spanned five sites and three years, said Alisa Brown, Architectural Assistant, Madison Metropolitan School District “The effort was deeply complex with multiple phases, multiple funding sources, and varied priorities for each site.”

Henricksen was selected as the furniture provider for all of the high schools. They worked closely with the Madison Metropolitan School District to develop solutions that addressed the specific needs of each school, while maintaining consistency across the district.

Each school had input into the design through community engagement sessions. Henricksen took these insights and provided a range of furniture options. They even set up a sample of classroom furnishings where both students and teachers tested various items before final selections were made. Based on the majority feedback, the Canto chair became a standard choice for classrooms.

Flexibility was a core design principle for all the furniture. Classrooms, collaborative spaces, and common areas were fitted with furniture that could easily be moved and reconfigured to adapt to different teaching methods and student preferences. Henricksen sourced furniture from multiple vendors, ensuring a wide variety of seating and table options that could be interchanged between campuses as needed.

The design process was iterative, with the user groups—teachers, students, designers, and administrators—participating in the selection of finishes and fabrics. In-person meetings allowed the group to interact with physical samples, helping refine choices. Adjustments were made along the way, especially to upholstery and other aesthetic details, to ensure the furniture reflected the school’s environment and the feedback from users.

Recognizing the complexity of fully revamping every space at once, the project instead focused on areas undergoing the heaviest renovation first. “We had no illusion that we could replace every piece of furniture,” said Brown. “We targeted the areas that were getting the heaviest renovations.” Henricksen provided tailored solutions for different areas of the schools, including classrooms, administrative offices, media centers (Library Media Centers), cafeterias, music rooms, special education spaces, and physical education areas. Each classroom features tables with the same laminate, allowing pieces to be interchanged across campuses. While the focus was on modernizing the furniture, thoughtful reuse of certain pieces, such as art tables, was integrated to reduce waste and help stay within budget.

“Henricksen walked us through every step along the way,” said Brown, “They delivered a solution that balanced standardization for these grade levels across our district while honoring the specific needs and desires of individual sites. We achieved a modern product mix that advanced our learning environments to fit current pedagogy, while remaining comfortable and relatable for teaching staff. The lookbooks for each school are the perfect guide map, as we move past larger renovations and furniture replacements into maintenance mode. I also really appreciated the involvement our Henricksen team members had directly with site-based staff, and the balance between getting their input and approval with our district-wide requirements and goals.”

The installation process, though complex and phased across multiple schools, was a coordinated effort between Henricksen, the installation team, and school administrators. Regular communication ensured that punch list items were resolved promptly, and the entire process was less stressful than anticipated for the district.

“Installation was very phased and complicated,” said Brown, “We appreciated Henricksen’s participation in that process.”

Madison Metropolitan School District’s renovation resulted in spaces that blend historical integrity with modern functionality. Key spaces, including media centers, collaborative areas, and classrooms, now offer flexible environments that align with current pedagogy and prepare students for college.

Students now have access to modern learning environments with flexible seating and tables that can adapt to their needs. The variety of furniture accommodates different learning styles, fostering collaboration and independent learning.

Project Stats

Completed

2024

Location

Madison, WI

Square Footage

Partners & Manufacturers

EUA, Allermuir, Allsteel, Arcadia Contract, Diversified Woodcrafts, EKO Contract, Emeco, Grand Rapids Chair Co., HON, IOF, Kimball, National Office Furniture, OFS, Safco Products, SitOnIt Seating, Smith System, VS America, Wisconsin Bench

Manufacturers Used

Madison Metropolitan School District

Madison, WI