Indigenous culture is at the heart of Indian Community School in Franklin, Wisconsin. Designed by studio:indigenous, the 150,000-sq-ft school serving grades K4-8 merges cultural values with education by bringing the surrounding natural environment into the striking interior learning spaces and gathering centers. Woven along a wooded hillside, the building is made of wood, copper, and limestone, with large windows offering expansive views of the local landscape. Inside, the use of natural materials—additional wood, marble, and glass—reinforces the connection with the outdoors, while migratory paths throughout support flow in a space created to foster community.
The school’s original lighting, circa 2007, not only failed to showcase its award-winning architectural design, but also failed to serve the teachers and students that use the building every day. The school’s upgraded lighting system, completed in 2023, highlights the building’s original architectural concepts and provides adequate functional illumination in classrooms and common areas, enhancing visual comfort and productivity, as well as safety and security, inside and out.
This project was featured on the cover of designing lighting magazine -
May 2024 issue
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