Rock Ridge High School Wins Minnesota Construction Association’s Choice Award
Rock Ridge High School has won Minnesota Construction Association’s (MCA) prestigious Choice Award, thanks to the school's innovative design and success driving prosperity through public and private sector partnerships.
About the Choice Awards
The MCA Choice Award selection criteria requires that projects have a visionary design, creatively use materials, be achieved through an innovative blending of progressive business and financial methods, and resourcefully blend construction techniques in a professional team effort.
The Choice Award is unique as it is neither a nominated nor a people’s choice award. This year, the MCA panel chose Rock Ridge High School for being “an outstanding example of the public and private sectors working together to drive prosperity in an economically challenged region.”
In addition to the difficulty of being constructed on geological faults and folds of the Laurentian Divide, the design and construction team collaborated with Rock Ridge Public Schools to develop on-site construction training opportunities for students. As a result, students were involved in the construction of 15 small structures throughout campus, such as dugouts, decks, and storage buildings. The district also partnered with local businesses during the construction process to give students exposure to a variety of career opportunities.
Rock Ridge High School
Through extensive collaboration with the client and working construction firm Kraus Anderson and design partner DSGW, Cuningham’s design for Rock Ridge High School advances the District’s founding mission by creating a progressive learning environment that emphasizes 21st-century skills like collaboration and critical thinking, aims for a global education benchmark, and introduces career-oriented pathways. The project is one of three new Cuningham-designed schools for the District.
At the center of school life, a multi-story Innovation Commons connects all three building levels, establishing an open, cohesive atmosphere. Modular walls and furniture in next generation learning neighborhoods promote collaboration, while state-of-the-art career and technical education (CTE) labs provide hands-on experience in a variety of trades and industries.
Cuningham’s design also accommodates the District’s robust community partnerships. Ongoing investments from local industries and businesses support not only the school’s comprehensive educational opportunities, but also three gyms, a community pool, and a performing arts center with a Broadway-standard stage and fly loft.
Take a closer look: Rock Ridge High School
To learn more about Cuningham's work on Rock Ridge High School, connect with Cuningham's John Pfluger and Margaret Parsons below.
