Reeds Spring Middle School Southfield, Missouri building development, DeWitt & Associates, Inc. MO architectural design

Reeds Spring Middle School, Southfield

Missouri Education Architectural Development design by Dake Wells Architecture.

post updated January 31, 2026

Architects: Dake Wells Architecture

Location: 345 Morrill Lane, Southfield, Missouri, USA

Reeds Spring Middle School in Missouri

The design approach for the Reeds Spring Middle School denies the conventional act of scraping the site clean, flattening the hilltops and destroying the natural character of the site. Instead, the building is strategically positioned at the edge of a 150 acre wooded site to lightly nestle into a hillside and gracefully flow down the valley in the heart of the Ozarks.

photos courtesy of Chicago Athenaeum

Sep 1, 2018

Reeds Spring Middle School, Southfield Building

The heavily wooded site and steep topography were preserved to allow this state-of-the-art school to seemingly emerge from the landscape. A competition gymnasium and a 1,000 seat auditorium are buried in the hillside, secured with a 480’ long retaining wall, and topped with a vegetated roof for maximum storm safety in this tornado prone area. A three-story classroom wing lines the trees and has operable glass walls, charging stations and collaboration spaces to connect students to each other and to the world.

A cascading stair in the three-story atrium flows through the center of the building and attracts occupants for informal learning, social activities and lunchtime. The design accommodates the districts push for state-of-the-art technology integration, collaborative learning environments, and tornado safety all in one facility.

The design was inspired by the district’s desire to be “environmentally ethical” and to preserve the natural environment. The project was designed to meet a site EUI of 36.2 kBtu/ sf/yr, and saves 29.9% of energy cost over the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 baseline. This theme permeated the collaborative design process and the four elements of the design solution that emerged – the cave, the bluff, the stream and the shed – all common elements found in the Ozark landscape.

The retaining wall (bluff) breaks open in two locations for access into the gym and auditorium (caves). Along the bluff runs a three-story cascading stair (stream) that is flooded with daylight and is a natural gathering place for social activities. The classroom wing (shed) is one of the only visible signs of construction and houses the collaborative and ever evolving learning spaces. The series of wood slat guardrails mediates between the classroom wing and atrium while recalling the verticality of the trees beyond.

Reeds Spring Middle School Southfield, MO – Building Information

Architects: Dake Wells Architecture
Client: Reeds Spring School District
General Contractor: DeWitt & Associates, Inc.

Reeds Spring Middle School Missouri images / information from Chicago Athenaeum

Address: 345 Morrill Ln, Reeds Spring, MO 65737, USA
Phone: +1 417-272-8245

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image courtesy of Chicago Athenaeum