Fort Zumwalt School District, East High School

East High School, the third high school designed by Cannon Design in nearly two decades of service to the Fort Zumwalt School District, accommodates district rebalancing initiatives in a contemporary building that exudes civic presence. Serving 1,500 students, the building features an academic pavilion at its center consisting of two classroom wings arranged around the school’s library, and performing arts and athletics pavilions at the building’s ends. A multilevel, generously daylit internal concourse connects students to gyms, commons, library, classrooms, and auditorium. Separate pavilion entrances facilitate after-hours access.

The building’s construction on a stepped 42-acre site enables both terrace-level access to the football/soccer stadium and direct access to playfields from lower-level locker areas, while the main entry from student dropoff areas and parking occurs at level three. A freestanding three-story-tall canopy shelters and defines the outdoor entry court. Richly colored architectural masonry suggestive of stone heightens the building’s sense of permanence.