West Ottawa High School has been names a GRAMMY signature School for its outstanding music program. The school’s student performers in choir, band, orchestra, and jazz ensembles consistently receive top ratings and awards, as does the theater arts program.

All arts and STEM programs in the district are heavily supported by the community, and the district aims to increase the competitiveness of its programs by establishing a new, high-end performing arts center. West Ottawa is establishing a new Performing Arts Center (PAC) as part of its 2019 bond initiative.

After nearly seven years of visioning and planning, Grand Haven Christian School (GHCS) is undertaking its most substantial facility expansion since the 1990s. The phased project is designed to support the school’s ongoing growth, strengthen its Christian learning environment, and welcome more students into the GHCS community. 

This thoughtful addition includes a large new gymnasium with a stage, designed to serve not only athletic events like basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, but also worship services, student productions, and community gatherings. Retractable bleachers and moveable nets offer flexibility, allowing the space to easily adapt to a wide range of uses. The gable shape of the roof provides north facing clearstory light while reducing the volume of the space so the building can thoughtfully integrate into the neighborhood context and complement the existing school.

The renovation and addition project at Chicago Christian High School was guided by five key principles: capturing a holistic campus vision, meeting each student where they are through 21st-century learning, creating strong connections, providing a facility that is accessible to all and establishing a lasting and durable impact. These principles informed the design of the updated high school, while accommodating a growing student body and ensuring modern learning environments.

This project includes an eye-catching addition and renovation to improve the cafeteria and adjacent commons area, creating a multifunctional space for eating, learning, and gathering. The new addition, which serves as a visual and welcoming entrance, integrates the school’s new branding throughout and features a learning stair at the entrance, lounge areas, and accessibility ramps that connect seamlessly with the architectural design.

As part of Calvin’s 2015 Master Plan, a student-focused Commons Union and library refresh project created a dynamic hub for the campus, containing a new open staircase, offices for student organizations, lounge and multipurpose spaces, and supportive administrative offices all under one roof.

Updating the Hekman Library to a Learning Commons model has created a collaborative and communal environment. Improved traffic flow for students using the library building was achieved by the integration of an open, communicating stair that connects the first three levels of the facility together. The first level is home to staff offices and a casual student engagement space with coffee area, small group performance stage and computer lab. The goal of the Commons Union project was to better serve learners by creating easy access to resources and support services, while fostering socialization and connection.

GMB partnered with Centerbrook Architects and Planners as the design architect for this project.

Since 2018, Hudsonville Public Schools has added around 125 students per year in the district and needed educational facilities to accommodate their current and future growth. As part of the district’s long-term master plan, the community approved a 2019 bond proposal to build new school facilities, including a new school for fifth and sixth graders, as well as renovate and add onto existing buildings, to address the district’s population needs. The high school has undergone a complete transformation to create additional classrooms, expand athletics and arts facilities, and connect campus buildings with multifunctional spaces.

With a total of 104,000 square feet, the new Hudsonville Fieldhouse serves as the new athletics and training hub for the high school. Located south of the existing high school building, the fieldhouse includes locker rooms, a 1/9 mile running track, two-levels of fitness and strength areas, a multipurpose tennis court, and three full size basketball courts for athletics events with spectator seating for 3,700 people. The unique top-loading design of the fieldhouse delivers a 360-view of the court floor and connects spaces on the upper level, making the facility ideal for hosting competitions, expositions, and community events. High-performance lighting in the fieldhouse provides an elevated spectator experience complemented by ample daylighting, a center-hung video board, and interactive district branding throughout.

This renovation and addition project will transform the Stadium Club at Western Michigan University (WMU)’s Waldo Stadium Field from primarily game day use to a 24/7/365 a year entertaining, fundraising, and intimate conversation space. The goal of the updated suite is to offer an elegant and welcoming experience to patrons unique to WMU.

A more modern and luxurious feel within the space, enhanced by high-end finishes and unique backgrounds, will add an excitement that can be easily shared on social media channels.

Calvin University’s athletics improvements projects embody the idea of “bring teams home” by developing a vibrant and centralized space on campus for all athletics groups. Building from the University’s 2015 master plan, these improvements create a coherent, purposeful, and connected long-term plan for growth on campus through athletics. The multi-phase project includes updates to Gainey Athletic Field’s turf and track and the construction of the new Calvin University soccer stadium.

The projects kicked off with the construction of a new track at the Gainey Athletic Field because the original track was displaced by the construction of the new stadium. The turf soccer field at Zuidema Field, the first turf field for the University, was completed next which offers space for multiple sports teams to use. The stadium field will be home for Calvin’s men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, with options for outdoor physical education classes and intramural activities. The baseball, softball and cross-country teams could also utilize the synthetic turf as a practice site when their fields’ conditions are inadequate.

The Holland community will soon be home to a welcoming and unique looped ice-skating rink at the Window on the Waterfront (WOW) Park. The new rink will feature a ribbon design with a circle “pond” rink that creates a fun and unique user experience, bringing people to downtown Holland. 

The rink will be made of real ice during the winter months and will have multi-year use that appeals to all park users. In peak winter season, ice skating, curling, outdoor fireplaces and gathering spaces can be enjoyed at the rink. In the warmer months, a small amphitheater hill will be created for performance space with outdoor seating and amenities. Concessions, bathrooms, storage buildings and canopies will complete the outdoor rink space.

As part of a $97.9 million bond issue, West Ottawa Public Schools was looking to create a unique stadium complex for West Michigan with premier facilities for each West Ottawa sport. The district was experiencing capacity issues and programming limitations in the existing Panther Stadium, located at the middle school and the oldest non-renovated facility in the district.

The new stadium complex is located near the West Ottawa High School North campus and provides an intimate athletics spectator experience with the capability to host multiple events simultaneously. Featuring two synthetic turf fields and both large and small venues, weather no longer affects the fields and interrupts the game. An 18×30-foot video board at the football field creates an exciting, professional game experience for players and fans alike, as does a central tunnel beneath the grandstands for the home team to enter the field to cheering fans. The north end zone of the football field has a dedicated section of bleachers for the band, and by removing a track from around the main field, fans are closer to the action for a more intimate spectator experience. Adding elevated fan experiences, such as a concourse level between the upper and lower sections of the home stands, bigger bleachers, and nicer concession stands and restrooms, establishes a venue for multiple sports and attracts the entire community to utilize the facility.

Lakeshore Advantage provides current and prospective companies in Ottawa and Allegan Counties, located in West Michigan, with one-step assistance for location, innovation, and growth. To serve the region’s entrepreneurial community, Lakeshore Advantage invested in a new building called the Next Center. The 20,000 sq ft, three-story building will provide a space to bring innovation, community startups, and learning to the Lakeshore.

The first-floor space will be home for startup businesses that will include collaborative spaces for exchanging ideas and fostering mutual connections. A learning lab that can accommodate 50 people will also provide space for workshops, networking, and presentations on the ground level. The second-floor space will become the new headquarters for Lakeshore Advantage employees while also housing office space for growing second-stage companies. The top floor will belong to an established business which complements the entrepreneurial ecosystem.