Munster High School Learning Commons Renovation

Munster High School

Munster High School Learning Commons Renovation

Munster High School

Munster, Indiana

The Pangere Corporation was the General Contractor for the renovation of the Munster High School Learning Commons located in Munster, Indiana. The project took a 25,000 square foot, outdated media/library center and converted it into a collaborative and thriving Learning Commons Space for the students. The concept of the Learning Commons is relatively new to the Educational landscape, given that public lending libraries are approximately 2,600 years old, as are some of the traditions of public school libraries! School Town of Munster is on the leading edge of this trend transitioning from a place that merely stores recorded knowledge to a place where new knowledge is created.

Before its renovation, Munster High School had a very traditional library, with immobile furniture placed in rows and minimal places for students to collaborate. The library is laced with soft seating and lounge areas for students to relax and read or work on their laptops. Administrators and staff wanted to transform their outdated spaces into a new library learning center that would feature collegiate-level design and resources. The J. Lake design team created a highly flexible, collaborative environment in a variety of ways. To make the learning center multifunction, the team incorporated movable seating, tables, and Video monitors. Each of the Study Rooms has wall-mounted glass marker boards, video monitors/televisions, and a bright open space with a large glass wall transparent to the commons space. The circulation desk was custom fitted with a solid-surface top and high quality, architectural casework in the colors of the School. To create technology-infused collaboration spaces, the team installed mobile power sources throughout the media tables, which allow students to share multimedia projects in groups. Other spaces included within the Learning Commons are a Project Room, Study Hall, Locker Rooms, Teacher Breakroom, Concessions, Restrooms, Library Classrooms, and flexible Meeting Rooms.

Munster High School Learning Commons opened in the fall of 2022 to wide acclaim by the Staff and Students. Kelly Hladek, Media Specialist and Librarian at Munster High School says proudly, “The Media Center’s new design invites student creativity, encourages collaborative learning, and promotes using technology to acquire new knowledge,” said Kelly Hladek, Munster High School media specialist/librarian. “Our teachers, students, and our community have noticed and are using the space. And our books? Our reenergized collection has been brought to the middle...the ‘heart’...of the Media Center (instead of the perimeter) where students can browse the books much more easily.”

Today, a full renovation has returned the brilliance to learning space for Munster High School one of the highest-rated schools in the US. All of these updates have had a positive effect on students and staff and the Learning Commons has become a popular place to learn, collaborate, and create.