![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-01-876x503.jpg)
Natrona County School District’s Pathways Innovation Center and Roosevelt High School in Casper, Wyoming, were recently awarded the Project of Distinction by the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE).
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-02-876x560.jpg)
Designed by Cuningham Group Architecture in partnership with MOA Architecture, the high schools, which share one building, are designed to support student-driven learning and prepare the district’s high school students for success beyond graduation, whether it’s moving on to college or highly-skilled trade careers..
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-03-876x561.jpg)
Opened in August 2016, Pathways is an individualized, career-focused academy, and Roosevelt is the district’s alternative high school featuring a wellness-based curriculum. The building’s design reflects teaching methods used at each school.
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-04-876x1267.jpg)
At the center of Pathways Innovation Center is its “Fabrication Hall,” a 5,000-square-foot, two-story common space surrounded by labs equipped with cutting-edge technology.
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-05-876x623.jpg)
It encourages teams from all academies to collaborate on projects and is inspired by private-sector facilities, including Boeing Aerospace in Washington state, where engineering and design teams work under one roof.
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-06-876x555.jpg)
This unique, sunlight-filled space is large enough to build homes and solar-powered airplanes. The hall has 16-feet-high, custom-fabricated glass bay doors that fully open to the outside.
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-08-876x584.jpg)
On the inside, the hall is viewed from glass-walled design spaces, including a “floating blue box” overlooking the hall for informal learning. Pathways is open to 11th and 12th graders from the district’s three high schools.
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-07-876x468.jpg)
It’s a state-of-the-art program connecting academics with real-world experiences in a wide range of fields, including engineering, arts and media, health science, agriculture and business.
![Pathways Innovation Center](https://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/Pathways-Innovation-Center-receives-project-of-distinction-award-09-876x613.jpg)
Four academies feature innovation labs that are designed to reflect professional work settings and feature industry-standard equipment. Source by Cuningham Group Architecture, photo Courtesy of JSPR.