Brainerd Public Schools

Following a successful $145M referendum in the spring of 2018, which included building a new Baxter Elementary School, repurposing all six elementary schools and remodeling the Brainerd High School north and south campuses, ARI was contracted to assist the district with interior finishes and branding for all six schools in the Brainerd schools umbrella.

Our interiors team's main goal was maintaining consistency across all schools by developing and implementing district standards. We were responsible for collaborating with architectural teams to provide insight on branding, material selections, interior pallets, finishes and select all Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E).

To identify student, teacher and staff FF&E needs, we kicked off programming with a furniture fair followed by a comprehensive questionnaire to draw an accurate picture of identified needs and narrow manufacturer choices. The next step in this process included user group workshops, specifically with teachers who were student advocates and administrative staff. Each teaching group got to select the pieces they would prefer to aid in their teaching style. We also met with principals to get an idea of what their overall thoughts were.

Overall, our goal from an FF&E perspective was to encourage a more active learning style and create flexible class arrangements. We implemented adjustable height tables, hard and soft seating options and versatile pieces suited to specific subjects and classrooms to accomplish this.