With three facilities housing elementary, middle, and high schools, Oconto Unified School District (OUSD) assessed the needs of each school in the areas of Safety and Security, Educational Space Improvements, and Operational Needs, and a thirteen-million-dollar referendum was passed in April 2021 to improve the facilities and grounds. Atmosphere Commercial Interiors was brought in by SiteLogiQ, the District’s A&D partner, to assist with furniture budgeting, and ultimately collaborated with the architecture and school district teams to find quality furniture products that met the project aesthetic, budget, and timeline.
Quick timelines and budget constraints are often a part of the furniture planning process for school districts, and Oconto Unified School District faced the additional challenge of supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Atmosphere was able to meet the project budget and timeline through a combination of consistent communication, extensive product knowledge, and an iterative and collaborative process tailored to the specific objectives of the school district.
“Dealing with a large project and having high hopes for our environments came with a budget. Managing expectations and budget are always a challenge. What I felt that Atmosphere did for us was that they listened to our needs and wants and only brought forth a picture that was feasible within our budget. This helped alleviate the thoughts that we are not getting what we want. Living in our budget supported our plans and left us feeling like we accomplished our objectives.”
– Emily Miller, Superintendent, Oconto Unified School District
The Atmosphere team acted as a planning resource for OUSD and SiteLogiQ, providing on-site planning and real-time design to help expedite the process in a positive way. Ryan Gram, Design Studio Leader at SiteLogiQ, states, “The Atmosphere team was able to provide solutions to support the district’s teaching and learning goals while providing high impact pieces in key areas, all within the project budget. They worked to provide selections that reinforced the design, as well as furniture finishes and materials that complemented the built environment.”
The overall project included a new high school cafeteria, renovation of the high school media center to incorporate a learning and tech lab, and renovation of the computer lab into a STEAM lab. The middle school updated special education classrooms to include sensory rooms, renovated the main office into a learning lab, transformed the computer lab into a STEAM lab, and created collaborative learning spaces. The elementary school added a new wing for classrooms, grades one through four got new furniture, and special education classrooms were updated.
Atmosphere received positive feedback from the school district, architecture team and construction project managers for our high standard of communication and providing a partnership that was focused around the needs of the Oconto Unified School District. We’re very proud to have been a part of comprehensive project to modernize their educational spaces.
“I would highly recommend working with Atmosphere. They understand their clients and the needs that they have. You will never feel like a project but an opportunity. Atmosphere is responsive and has an extensive knowledge of project lines and what fits.”
– Emily Miller, Superintendent, Oconto Unified School District
Architect: SiteLogiQ
Photographer: Badger Skytography
