Glen Lake Community School (GLCS) is located on 110 acres in northern Michigan, an area known for its natural beauty. Due to the lack of competition tennis courts at the existing venue, students had to use tennis courts from other areas as "away teams". The softball field and football field are far away from the locker room, which is inconvenient. 
These factors resulted in the project scope consisting of three parts: softball and soccer home and away locker room buildings adjacent to the existing stadium; a new 8-court tennis court; and an entrance building to control access to the football field and provide storage space for the tennis courts. Key design goals included creating a common, functional aesthetic for all buildings, visually unifying them across a vast expanse of many acres. As a member of the Michigan Green School, GLCS is committed to achieving environmental goals through good ecological practices and teaching environmental principles. Therefore, high performance and sustainable design are clear priorities. 
The design process begins with a site circulation and orientation study of each building to understand the focal point of natural entrance and intuitive wayfinding, and to maximize the use of natural light, landscaping, sheltered gathering spaces, and future solar arrays. Despite the large size of the property, the undulating terrain and existing site only provide a smaller, irregular site for the building. The site plan also needed to accommodate new septic tanks, stormwater retention, and connections to remote water and electricity services, while preserving existing groves as much as possible. 
The location of these buildings maximizes circulation and access for athletes and spectators, while also providing all-weather shelter. The use of natural light and natural materials provides a unique aesthetic that represents the forests of Lake Glen and northern Michigan. The intentional use of wood as a structural and finishing material is key to achieving a design that is pleasing and visually connected to the forest environment. It also sets an important precedent for the characterization and design of future buildings on site. 
Timber ceilings, exterior paneling, integrated timber benches, and glulam beams work together in a simple palette to help elevate the design from a "utilitarian" structure to a community asset. Split surfaces and polished concrete block walls provide a low-maintenance solution for building exteriors. 
The team building has a low-slope, overlapping roof that forms a large conservation area. These buildings include training rooms, locker rooms, staff facilities, and convenient public restrooms. The Gate Ticket Building constitutes an important visual entrance to the football field. The entrance plaza features an integrated bench to facilitate gathering before and after the game. The general orientation of the building's long axis enhances daylighting and shading strategies to minimize glare and solar heat gain.
Because these buildings so closely reflect the cultural and environmental goals of Glen Lake, it is likely that these projects will be seen as worthy representations and preserved as models of communities worthy of preservation in the future. In this way, the design of these buildings provides multiple social, economic and environmental benefits.