Page 32 - spaces4learning, November/December 2019

spaces4learning ADAPTIVE REUSE FOR EDUCATION
THINKING OUTSIDE
THE BOX: ADAPTIVE REUSE FOR EDUCATION
There are countless opportunities to create new and innovative learning environments within existing buildings.
By Ian Kilpatrick, AIA, NCARB
EDUCATION IS ONE OF SEVERAL INDUSTRIES FACING drastic changes to meet the demands of consumers. The educa- tional experience is evolving to provide students with next-gen- eration learning opportunities, while, simultaneously, retail and medical industries are undergoing transformational shifts in how they serve their customers. As a result, once bustling shopping cen- ters and medical offices sit vacant, and neighborhoods are littered with shuttered properties that previously served hundreds, or even thousands, of people every day. This scenario is unfolding across the nation, but I believe there is hope.
Many school districts are searching for additional space to serve students and educators, and over the last few years, DLR Group has partnered with multiple school districts to convert non-educational properties into innovative environments for stu- dents and staff. Although it may be considered non-traditional, the solution is a win-win for local communities. Repurposing empty structures into educational and administrative facilities breathes life back into buildings and surrounding neighborhoods. It also allows school districts to create new environments in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner.
Converting a Medical Office to an Innovation Center
Yorkville School District 115 in Illinois identified an opportu- nity to transform an existing single story 4,400 square-foot den- tal office building into a new Teacher Center for Innovation. The space acts as a district hub and training space for more than 500 educators. DLR Group’s design encourages professional collabo- ration, expands “touchdown” opportunities for nomadic staff and fosters healthy teacher perspectives. It also supports innovative pedagogical practices such as multi-grade, cross-district collabo- ration, research and professional learning.
The new facility is home to a professional space intent on sup- porting teachers and the district’s bold strategic plan goals of cre-
ating a community
of learners, oper-
ational excellence
and meeting every
learner where they
are. It is accessible
24/7 to meet the diverse needs of an evolving workforce and is lo- cated near district administrative offices at the town’s arterial cross- roads, offering easy access for all educators throughout the district.
Because it previously operated as a medical office building, a complete interior demolition and renovation was necessary, as well as a new floor plan, solar tubes to bring in daylight and updated furniture and finishes. The original floor plan consisted of small compartmentalized spaces and a lobby; DLR Group’s design fea- tures a layout that focuses on purposeful adjacencies to support formal and informal gatherings for both professional and social activities. A variety of conference, private office and kitchen spaces flank a centralized flexible collaborative space and provide areas for teachers and teaching professionals to utilize based on what- ever need is at hand. As pedagogy evolves, strategic placement of several rooms for video conferencing and recording lectures also readies teachers offering increased blended and remote learning.
Adapting a 1960s Medical Facility into a Career Ready Center
Topeka Public Schools in Kansas sought to re-purpose an ex- isting building into the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers to provide real work experiences for its students. The facility was originally designed as part of the Kansas State Hos- pital system built in the early 1960s. The nature of its operation as a clinical and research center for mental sciences prohibited the use of windows and, as a result, lacked access to daylight. In 1981 the facility was converted to an education and activity center for the Topeka School District providing additional classrooms,
DLR Group / Christian Phillips Photography
32 NOV/DEC 2019