Confronted with dated, overcrowded food service facilities, Savannah Chatham County Public Schools wanted to replace the current kitchen and cafeteria for the Hubert Middle School campus. The school, located in a disadvantaged area, presented an opportunity for the district to provide a state-of-the-art facility that could be of service to the entire community.

We designed a full-scale kitchen that offers healthy eating options for the dining room and its enclosed courtyard. Large spans of glass meet the vaulted ceilings, whose exposed structure allows space for natural light to flood the room, enhancing its bright color palette.

During our collaborative design process, we identified opportunities to take the Hubert cafeteria beyond standard utilization. By adding a small platform and supporting technologies, we created an assembly space that can be used independently, both for school and community events.

Hubert’s dining space has become an asset to school and the entire district. It is a contemporary space in which students socialize, enjoy lunch and school events together, and feel at home. We helped give life to their vision and design a place that feeds the body and the mind.