Building the Lesson Plan: Turning Construction into a Living STEM Curriculum

Challenge

Broken Arrow Public Schools envisioned a 48,000 SF STEM Innovation Center where students could explore up to 140 disciplines through hands-on learning. The project required more than constructing a building; it needed to function as a teaching tool, with systems and construction processes that students could observe, analyze, and operate.

Solution

Flintco transformed the 80-acre former dairy farm into a living laboratory, embedding sustainability and environmental science into both the site and the building. During excavation, crews preserved large boulders discovered on site and strategically relocated them around the existing farm pond to support environmental science and erosion studies. At the greenhouse, Flintco installed a rainwater-collection cistern that students now use for irrigation and for water-conservation lessons.

Vertical and horizontal circulation elements were intentionally designed as learning features. The elevator—extending from the ground-level basement to the cantilevered second floor—includes a windowed shaft, allowing students to observe its operation. When sloping elevator code requirements required field modifications, Flintco coordinated a revised installation using dual windowpanes to eliminate potential standing ledges while maintaining visibility. Adjacent to the elevator, an open drop zone allows students to conduct parachute and gravity experiments from the upper level. A 35-foot horizontal sliding glass wall enables students to seamlessly move robotics, drones, and experiments between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Flintco’s Virtual Design and Construction team developed fully coordinated BIM models for all structural and MEP systems and donated them to the district as Oklahoma’s first public-school BIM curriculum. Weekly drone flights by a Vanguard teacher, in collaboration with Flintco, documented the project from bare ground to completion, enabling students to study photogrammetry, site logistics, and construction sequencing in real time. VR goggles were donated to provide ongoing classroom exploration of the building systems.

Result

Flintco delivered Vanguard Academy on schedule, embedding construction methodology into the school’s ongoing STEM curriculum. The BIM model, drone archive, and VR tools provide lasting instructional resources. Students gained firsthand experience with construction technology, while the cistern, pond, and preserved site features serve as outdoor laboratories.