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Exterior view of middle school at dusk.

Auburn Washburn Middle School

A new school designed to support students' socio-emotional needs and well-being.

Location
Topeka, KS
Client
Auburn-Washburn Unified School District 437
Practices
Size
138,000 sq.ft.
Year
2025
Awards

With over 6,000 students across the district and at present only a single school to accommodate all middle-level learners, Auburn-Washburn USD 437 requires a second middle school to help alleviate overcrowding.

The new middle school is being designed for a projected enrollment of 750 students and will allow the district to move the sixth-grade curriculum from their elementary to their middle schools.

Site plan of Auburn Washburn Middle School.
Site Plan

The school aims to support students’ socio-emotional needs while embodying a “learning happens everywhere” ethos to ensure high-efficiency space allocation. Engagement with students through surveys and workshops revealed the need for students’ socio-emotional support. The design approach embraces this need by providing a school with purpose-built space supporting student autonomy, encouraging social engagement between classes, and celebrating personal identity and expression.

Students sitting and working in long window-lined space.

A primary circulation spine, known as the “Forest Walk” for its connection to the adjacent forest’s edge, consolidates public commons, dining, and library into a single “learning first” environment.

Its unique blend of programs brings together typically underutilized program space to create a highly efficient and vibrant learning community that can be used continuously throughout the school day.

Perspective section of Auburn Washburn Middle School.

The Forest Walk saved the school district nearly 10,000 sq. ft. without sacrificing any programming, creating new opportunities for facility and curriculum investment.

Students sitting on flexible seating in long space connected to outdoors.

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