Location:
Anderson, SC
Key Details:
Area: 228,000 sf
Completion: June 2026
Pendleton High School (PHS) is located along a rural stretch of highway within Anderson School District Four (ASD4) between Anderson and Clemson, South Carolina. Anticipating PHS will reach capacity by 2026, ASD4 is replacing the high school with a new modernized facility that supports 1,500 students and facilitates dynamic and interactive teaching methods. As a gathering place for Bulldog Athletics and career-building agriculture and technology programs, the new Pendleton High School lays the foundation for population and pedagogical growth.
The new Pendleton High School spans 228,000 square feet and offers a modernized educational experience with a variety of open, shared learning spaces, state-of-the-art technology, outdoor learning opportunities, a 675-seat auditorium, and 1,600-seat spectator gymnasium. Designed on the existing site, the old building will become Riverside Middle School creating a combined campus to optimize shared programs, resources, and facilities.
The design centers on a large open courtyard defined by a grassy lawn with curved concrete benches for outdoor dining, socialization, or class time. The organic nature of the forms provide a contrast to the linear quality of the rest of the school, while integrating a nature space into the building.
The entry corridor leads past administrative offices and the related arts zone and opens to a large cafeteria commons with natural light pouring in from the courtyard to the east. The double-height media center also opens to the courtyard and features independent and collective learning areas, wrapped in study rooms.
With a strong culture of academics and athletics, the project includes a top-loaded gymnasium and auxiliary gym that will accommodate large-scale sporting events and the rapid growth of the Athletics programs. Dedicated space for Career and Technical Education (CATE) classrooms to promote vocational skills and a recognized Agricultural Education program complete with a welding shop, woodworking lab, and greenhouses will offer hands-on learning experiences that further enrich the curriculum.
