Sandersville, Georgia

Innovative Gifted Accelerated Learning (IGAL) Academy

13,500 Square Feet

The Washington County Schools IGAL Academy in Sandersville, Georgia will be a home for both enrichment maker spaces for the district’s primary and middle school students as well as the developing culinary arts program of the adjacent Washington County High School. IGAL is the district’s abbreviation for Innovative Gifted Accelerated Learning.

GMC was asked to take a building formerly used as a youth detention facility by the state of Georgia and reinvent it as a center for culinary arts and hands-on learning.

Inside the building, the reapplication of the existing commercial kitchen allows the GMC team to develop a central cooking and serving space that can be used for demonstration, teaching, and events by the school district. This service and demo core will be wrapped in a set of five flexible maker classrooms that will be used for studio-style teaching for learners of all levels. The building will also include renovated restrooms, offices, and meeting spaces for staff to work together to develop this new curriculum.

Outside the building, in addition to new paving and other landscape updates, will be a set of new tennis courts with the size appropriate for the High School to host tournaments during their sports season.