The design of Winthrop’s new 970-student middle/high school is based on the community’s vision for a combined school that maintains separate identities. Shared core facilities including the gym, library, auditorium and blackbox theater comprise the space between two L-shaped academic wings that house the middle school and high school classrooms. Organized to support interdisciplinary team teaching, classrooms in both wings are supplemented with project areas just outside the classroom doors, providing the flexibility needed for 21st century teaching and learning. These learning commons are used as pull-out space for individual support, interdepartmental planning or small group collaboration, and maintains the feel of small learning communities. Specialized areas within the high school wing include a fab lab, which can host activities like Winthrop’s “Viking Longships” class, giving students the opportunity to explore Viking history through hands-on projects. While maintaining separate identities, the design of the combined school fosters a sense of interconnectivity through glazing on interior and exterior walls, daylighting and double-height volumes.