Long before the new North Atlanta High School building became home to 1,600 enthused students, it was a staid if not imposing looking corporate Atlanta headquarters for IBM. The same place where students now scurry to class to learn about geography, algebra and British literature used to be a place where employees “built a smarter planet”. Just how did the building go from cubicles to high school drama?

The move to a new campus was made with future growth enrollment in mind. The school’s current enrollment, which stands at around 1600, is slated to grow up to around 2,400 in the not too distant future. The reason for converting an old – and huge – office building into a high school is rooted in the need for space. Another factor into the Atlanta Public Schools decision to purchase and rehab such an expensive building was also rooted in economic realities. Companies that are downsizing no longer need large corporate structures. Atlanta Public Schools was happy to find a large building on a sizable tract of land in a part of town that is comparatively close to the old North Atlanta Campus.

The move into the building was an expensive one. It cost $56 million for the building alone and another $70.9 million to turn the building into a school. These funds paid for the daunting task of demolishing a building, rising one up from the rubble from the previous building, and fixing up an already existing building. Another addition to the school was a sophisticated elevator system. The “smart elevators” that students now take (and crowd) have software that let them track consistent navigational habits and “learn” ways to better convey students to class on time.

Along with the towering main building, the massive construction project also features a new addition to the school. The NAHS wing should be open this December. The new wing contains a 600-seat auditorium and a gymnasium for students. Along with the auditorium and the gym are classrooms for orchestra and music classes. Like the former IBM building, the new wing has a spacious windows that allow for more expansive views of the lake and campus.

The old IBM building was built in 1977 for more than 5,000 IBM workers. The original site was 56 acres with two buildings and a parking lot with more than 950 spaces.

From its earlier life as a home to bustling businessmen trying to sell software to its new life as a hotbed of student activity full of rushing students, few buildings have seen a more dramatic transformation. As North Atlanta continues to expand, students anticipate the completion of athletic fields, a seniors-only cafeteria, dance rooms, gyms, an auditorium, bus lanes, and a theater.