Educational Facilities

Alexander II Elementary School is a very unusual project located adjacent to the Intown Neighborhood Historic District, Tattnall Square Park, and Mercer University. The school is also immediately adjacent to Tattnall Place, a 97-unit mixed income multifamily development that is the key element of the broader Beall’s Hill neighborhood redevelopment.
In an era of new suburban school development on large tracts of land and the closing of many historic inner-city schools, Alexander II stands apart both as a solid example of commitment to neighborhood redevelopment and of commitment to preservation of a historic structure.

The original Alexander II Elementary school was occupied in 1904 and has been used as a school facility for over 100 years. Though later additions were demolished to make room for the new school facilities, the original 8 – classroom building was preserved, fully renovated, and is still used today as it originally functioned – for elementary classrooms.

A new 57,000 square foot addition houses all of the remaining elementary school facilities, including laboratory spaces to support a math and science magnet program. Rather than dwarfing the original historic building, the new addition is designed in such a way that the original building maintains its prominence and importance. New subordinate wings adjacent to the original building both reflect and complement many of the architectural elements of the historic façade.

                      
The former Clisby Elementary School is located in Macon’s Vineville Historic District.  Funding requirements dictated the construction of a new elementary school.  However, through a careful selective demolition process, the wood-framed structure was removed while the historic building façade was retained and restored.  The new elementary school facility was constructed behind the historic façade.

The sloping site dictated three separate but connected building elements…a new 3-story classroom wing, a single story entrance lobby, and a 2-story wing housing the Media Center, Cafeteria, Gymnasium/Auditorium.  The single story lobby aligns with the first floor of the classroom wing and with the second floor of the 2-story wing, allowing for views into the 2-story Gymnasium/Auditorium.  The Gymnasium/Auditorium was given particular attention since this school has a very dynamic performing arts Magnet program.  At the lower level, the Gymnasium/Auditorium opens to the Cafeteria to provide overflow and gathering space for performances.  The stage area features a brick façade that echoes the detailing of the historic building façade.

Other Projects:
Macon State College Classroom Building