Capps Middle School Named MacConnell Award Finalist

Larson Design Group (LDG) is honored to announce that subsidiary LWPB’s stand-out Capps Middle School project was named one of four nationwide finalists for the prestigious James D. MacConnell Award. This highly competitive, national award from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) is presented to a firm demonstrating thorough, comprehensive planning and a design with emphasis on functionality of educational spaces.  

Capps Middle School re-envisions a neighborhood park into a new, 170,000 SF future-ready middle school campus driven by an inquiry-based teaching and learning model. Everything from the facility itself, to the building system, arrangement of learning suites and furniture was designed to support this shift with a space that adapts to meet the needs of diverse learning activities.  

See the Capps Middle School project finalist video here 

The project’s core guiding principles included:  

  • Inquiry Based: A shift from traditional teaching and learning to a learner-driven inquiry-based model 
  • Scalable: Flexible, adaptable learning environments 
  • Destination: School is more than just a place to go every day, but a place learners want to go 
  • Collaborative: Environment aligned to collaborative teaching and learning   

The Capps Middle School project included a significant discovery phase with unprecedented collaboration between designers and users focused on understanding the future vision. LWPB’s Education team leveraged years of experience and expertise to deliver on that vision.  

Related: Capps Middle School Project   

LWPB is a leading provider of architectural and interior design services for schools with decades of specialized experience. Jeff Wegener, Principal, K12 Director, and Capps Middle School project lead is an Accredited Learning Environment Planner (ALEP). Mr. Wegener is one of only 6 professionals in Oklahoma to hold this designation.  

Mr. Wegener shared, “Our team is passionate about excellent design and forward-thinking educational spaces. It is such an honor for that passion to be recognized among all the incredible projects of the MacConnell award finalists.”  

About Larson Design Group 

Founded in 1986, LDG is an award-winning, 100 percent employee-owned national architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with 17 offices in seven states and a vision to elevate client relationships, enrich the careers and lives of its employee-owners, and enhance the communities in which it operates.     

In 2022, LWPB joined LDG as a wholly owned subsidiary. Together, our in-house multidiscipline team serves as a trusted partner and extension of your organization with shared cultures, philosophies, and work ethics.  

Learn more at www.larsondesigngroup.com or click here to view open career opportunities.