Page 51 - spaces4learning, Fall 2021

outside, relax and breathe. The result is abundant daylighting, operable and floor-to-ceiling windows, patios, out- door connectors and an indoor/outdoor courtyard.
• Community & Culture: The desire to create an environment for show-and- tell spoke to the culture the students valued for their new school. Spaces for performing arts, athletics, socialization and community-building dominated the students’ plans. The result is learn- ing pods, a Hall of Flags, a spirit store, collegiate-level performance spaces, public green space/outdoor event venues and a consistent blue and green color scheme. In the primary school building, an on-site community clinic operated by a third-party healthcare provider will support broader health and wellness initiatives.
Two Campuses, One Design
The North campus comprises a $44-million, 248,000-square-foot building that serves 1,600 students in grades 7 through 12. Meanwhile, the $37-million, 206,000-square-foot South campus presently serves 1,600 elementa- ry school students in grades 1-6 but can accommodate up to 1,900 students as the district grows.
The schools are nearly identical in design, ensuring there will be consis- tent experiences as students matriculate between schools. In the middle and high school (North) campus, each wing serves a different age group: seventh and
eighth graders in one and ninth through twelfth graders in the other. In the South campus, three learning commu- nities (grouped by grade level) radiate outward from a central office.
On both campuses, each wing is anchored by a prominent set of nat- ural-light-filled learning stairs where students gather for lunch, project collab- oration, instruction and social activities. Restaurant-style booths and mixed- height cafe tables replace the standard cafeteria seating.
When it comes to classroom instruc- tion, both campuses include a combina- tion of large seminar-style classrooms, smaller studios—each with operable walls that can double the learning space—proj- ect labs and shared collaboration zones that can flex in infinite ways. Rather than “owning” classrooms, instructors across all grade levels share all instructional spaces within their respective wings. Teachers are assigned desks in larger co-working spaces where they are encouraged to collaborate amongst each other.
A variety of showcase spaces allow students to display artwork, projects, school memorabilia and the like. Exposed ductwork, polished concrete floors, warm wood tones, large windows, inlaid casework and a blue-and-green color scheme are featured throughout.
That’s not to say there aren’t nuances that support each campuses’ specific needs—again, driven by student input. For instance, the North campus includes tech desks inspired by the Apple Genius
Bar, where students can get tech help from their peers. The first floor features a “Hall of Flags” representing all 31 coun- tries from which students hail, as well
as an outdoor courtyard with a life-sized chessboard. Corridors and lockers were intentionally minimized to dedicate more space to instruction and project displays.
On the South campus, one of two gymnasiums opens to a huge, shared outdoor courtyard and performance space with stage. Cozy nooks are tucked under staircases and in the media center to appeal to different learning and recre- ation activities. In addition, only minor administrative duties are performed in the central office; principals’ offices have instead been disbursed throughout the building to allow for in-the-moment course correction or student-teacher-ad- ministrator conferences.
Known for his passionate dedication
to his work, Jeff Parker, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, is an expert at helping school districts create future-focused learning environments. His 25+ years of experience include educational visioning, master planning, designing and programming for numerous educational facility types. He says, “From designing spaces that transform the way education takes place, to gathering district stakeholders to help them cast a vision for their new spaces... all of the work
I do is done with the purpose of redefining learning.” Contact Jeff at jparker@shp.com.
PHOTOS © JOE HARRISON, JH PHOTOGRAPHY INC.
spaces4learning.com | FALL 2021 51