Dennis-Yarmouth Intermediate Middle School is located in the “Mid Cape” region of Cape Cod, MA. As a barrier island, the Cape has strong ties to its various landscapes, which inspired this project. The large surrounding bodies of water transition into marshland, which in turn flow into fields and forests with smaller bodies of water connecting all three. Using these landscapes as a reference, our goal was to create experiential graphics, signage and wayfinding that project calming, warm, and natural spaces that are inclusive and tailored to the kids and tweens who attend the school.

We selected materials, design elements, and colors that draw from this section of the Cape. The building is organized by wing, with connectors between the main public areas (Wings A & B) and the individual classroom wings (C & D). The circulation spaces represent the bodies of water that connect the Cape’s ecologies. Inspiration for the interiors is largely anchored in biophilic design, bringing nature inside through the use of organic shapes, tactile materials, and colors pulled from nature. Splashes of color are applied to specific areas of the building to differentiate zones and are used as a wayfinding tool to provide students, teachers, and staff with a sense of location.

Our design team developed more than 30 custom icons and graphic “moments” that define and activate the school’s interiors. From graphics in seating nooks to dimensional animal forms in the corridors and biophilic designs and patterns on glass windows, sidelights, and bookcases, graphic representations of the local environment and native plants and animals are represented throughout the whole building in a tasteful, minimalistic approach.

Perkins Eastman designed this new facility. See the full description of its architecture here.