The i-3 Academy

A former church continues giving as a public K-5 charter school

The former Woodlawn Baptist Church has been transformed into the i3 Academy, Alabama’s largest charter school.  The primary entrance was flipped to face existing parking for safety, outdated building systems were replaced, and a second floor was inserted into both the main and original sanctuaries.  Opening the roof with a continuous skylight and retaining the original tall sanctuary windows brings daylighting into all spaces, supporting contemporary learning paradigms.  The main entry opens to a skylit 2-story atrium with shared activity space, library, and multimedia functions on the first floor.  Flanking this central space are two floors of classrooms grouped into houses, each serving a single grade with three classrooms arranged around a shared common area and distinguished with distinctive colors and iconography.  Art, music, math, and reading labs are included. The new gymnasium building doubles as a public-accessible storm shelter and community center.  A diverse group of 420 students in grades K-5 now attends the 41,000sf charter school in this underserved community.

Planning | Programming | Architecture | Interior Design