Throughout history, art has been used as a means for individuals and communities to express their ideas, experiences, feelings, and their most profound beliefs. The Atlanta Performing Arts High School in midtown was designed to encourage students and the mid-town Atlanta community to participate in the arts as creators, performers, and audience members. The Atlanta Performing Arts High school is a community facility, making it a requirement to encourage connection and collaboration between users and performers through various parts of the program. 

The site is located in the heart of midtown Atlanta at the intersection of Peachtree Street and North Avenue, adjacent to Fox Theater and the historic Georgian Terrace. This proposal started with a comprehensive research study of the city of atlanta, showcasing the importance of proper development of all parcels on peachtree street between Ralph McGill Blvd NE and Ponce De Leon Avenue NE to revitalize pedestrian walkways and create connectivity between downtown and midtown Atlanta through Peachtree St NE. The location of the site makes this development vital for the development of Peachtree St NE. A thriving arts program engages the community as an active partner in promoting and experiencing the arts. The proposal places the program’s public components such as event spaces, lobby, and the art gallery on Peachtree St, allowing for pedestrians to wander in and engage with the work of local artists and students. One of the main design elements of this proposal is the dynamic roof structure in response to topography changes on North Avenue. While this approach is mainly formal, it allows for collecting rainwater on various points of the roof used for the irrigation system. The proposal finds roots in the constant transaction between light, glass, and poured concrete in creating a rigid structure that feels “soft” and inviting.