WER Architects led the revitalization of the 1968 Sylvan Hills High School campus for the Pulaski County Special School District, creating a modern educational and athletic environment designed to serve a target population of approximately 2,200 high school students. The multi-phase project transformed an aging campus through strategic additions, new facilities, and improved circulation, establishing a renewed identity for the high school and strengthening its connection to the surrounding community.

Phase I introduced a 120,000-square-foot addition that reoriented the high school toward the south, creating a more prominent and welcoming face to the community. The new orientation improved visibility from the surrounding area while allowing vehicular, bus, and service circulation routes to be more clearly separated across the campus. This reorganization enhanced safety and efficiency while establishing a new architectural identity for the existing school.

The academic addition includes flexible classroom spaces, a new media center, administrative areas, state-of-the-art kitchen facilities, and both indoor and outdoor dining environments. These spaces were designed to support contemporary educational needs while creating opportunities for students to gather, collaborate, and engage outside of traditional classroom settings.

Phase II expanded the campus’s extracurricular and community capabilities with the addition of a new Performing Arts Center, Indoor Practice Facility, and Multi-Use Arena. The two-story, 57,000-square-foot arena seats approximately 2,200 spectators on three sides of the competition court and accommodates two cross courts for practice. Six dedicated locker rooms support basketball and volleyball programs, along with associated coaches’ offices, storage, and training facilities.

The Indoor Practice Facility provides a flexible, all-weather environment for football and soccer training, as well as marching band and JROTC drill activities. A dedicated weight training area features state-of-the-art equipment for instruction, conditioning, and specialized training. The facility also includes specialized treatment rooms, men’s and women’s locker rooms, coaches’ offices, and a team seminar room that supports classwork, team meetings, and film review.