Page 30 - spaces4learning, Fall 2024

s p a c e s 4 l e a rn i n g WALLS, CEILINGS & FLOORS
The school went with a modular design, ideal for creating
the multi-use, flexible spaces required to support this style of
learning. Elements like carpet tile flooring could be arranged
in differentiating colors and patterns to help define spaces with
visual cues, while moveable furniture could easily be rearranged
to accommodate different activities.
A key feature of the design was replacing multiple class-
room walls with glass. In addition to opening up the spaces,
the improved visibility enabled teachers to help each other with
supervision and created a deeper sense of connection.
“A lot of what you’re doing in public education is teaching
30 FALL 2024 | spaces4learning.com
kids how to be good citizens and
how to be part of a community. If
you can’t see your community, you
are going to have a hard time prac-
ticing those skills,” said Clarkson.
The students have taken to the
school’s openness, and teachers
report that being able to see each
other has created fewer disturbances.
But there was one particular obsta-
cle to overcome: sound.
Selecting Materials
with Intent
Open space and the heavy use of
glass would create an environment
that causes a lot of noise, especially
when adding a thousand students
to the mix. The designers knew
from the start that they would
need to go with carpet flooring to
provide some noise insulation, but
carpet is not as resilient to foot traf-
fic as harder surfaces. They needed
a product that could do both. The designers found that choosing
carpet tiles paired with noise-dampening backings was a bene-
ficial solution to achieving both durability and noise insulation.
“You don’t hear much, even when multiple classes work in
the same space. Obviously, transition times, where everyone is
moving about, can get a little chaotic,” explained Burnett. “But
during class time, noise hasn’t been an issue due to our carpet
tile flooring that supports noise reduction.”
A Budding Community
Now in its third year of operation, the school has been an over-
whelming success, Principal Bur-
nett says. “The students really like
it, especially our library, which is
kind of our main artery and has
many windows. The teachers feel
a lot more supported. The added
flexibility of the classrooms and
the common spaces let them col-
laborate more. They can function
more like a team.”
James L. Capps Middle School
was meant to be a school of the
future. The future might have
arrived sooner than expected, but
the experiment was certainly a
success.
Jay Lanier is the education seg-
ment expert at Interface.