Page 42 - School Planning & Management, July/August 2017

FACILITIES WILDERNESS WONDER
appropriate access to natural light is pertinent in any climate, to enhance learning environ- ments as well as student performance.
Flexibility and Efficiency
As the new school facility was funded by the state, there were rigid restrictions on the allowable building area. There- fore, part of the design challenge was to program and plan the building efficiently with spaces that could be flexible and serve multiple uses. As you enter the facility, the main circulation spine is also a central commons, used as a multipurpose space to support shared classroom co-working, or larger gatherings for school celebrations and assemblies. The gymnasium itself can be used for both physical education classes and as a cafeteria, with efficiently designed pull-out seating that stows away quickly so little time is lost in set-up. The music room doubles as a stage that can open up to the gymnasium for performances.
The intentional serrated edges of the classrooms created “Knick nooks” (a
nod to the building’s physical address on Knick-Knack Mud Shack Road) defined by color and adaptable furniture. The nooks provide a comfortable and engaging retreat for small group work or informal meeting spaces. Each classroom floor is bolstered by a special education resource room as well as enclosed flex rooms, which can be used for small group work, teacher collaboration or other meetings.
The classrooms are furnished to be flexible in arrangement and functionality. Mobile furniture increases this flexibil- ity and is scaled appropriately per grade level. Interior glazing not only allows for borrowed light, but increases transpar-
ency between classrooms and collaborative areas. Scale was a continued consideration as evidenced by the height and placement of these windows.
Safety and Security
The central collaboration area supports passive security and safety. The main office was planned to have clear sight lines to the commons, a visible and open space that is easily surveyed from the main office and from each classroom.
With such a large space connecting all the classrooms, the ability to close off the com- mons area during times of community use was important. The community can access the gymnasium / performance space after hours via a separate vestibule, which enables the school to zone off the classroom area of the building during public functions.
Planning for Resiliency
Alaska is an active seismic zone, with the highest earthquake hazard rating possible by the U.S. Geological Survey. The abundant lateral bracing required for the building became a design element itself. It is visible throughout the clerestory windows of the commons and gymnasium, and is the impetus for the design pattern of the interior windows into the classrooms, which include lateral bracing behind the solid portion of the walls. This efficiency in planning can be applied to any school, by using the voids in required structural bracing to create win- dows, display areas or storage zones.
Climate Considerations
Designing in Alaska requires a unique approach specific to the site and climate conditions. However, many of the fun-
damental principles can be utilized in other geographic locations. In typical U.S. climates, orienting classrooms north and south is the best way to control daylight and solar heat gain. With the climate and daylight considerations of Alaska, the classrooms all face south to maximize the warmest, sunniest exposure in the spaces where students spend most of their day. The commons area itself collects abundant daylight, and filters patterns through the colored glass throughout the day. At times of year with less daylight, the LED lighting, reminiscent of icicles, creates similar play- ful lighting and a warm environment.
Whereas north facing windows are desirable in many locations in the con- tinental United States, for Dena’ina, the windows on the north side of the building are minimized for energy efficiency, due to the prevailing winds and snow from that direction.
A topic of consideration for all schools is where all the “stuff” goes. In a climate like Alaska’s, students often come to school with many more layers than students in the “lower 48”. The cubbies in each classroom were specially designed for each child to have access to a drainable boot tray, and also to provide ample space for snow pants and other winter gear, in addition to stor- ing school materials. Cubbies were scaled specifically for the K-2 students on level one, versus the older students on level two. Teacher access to storage is provided above the student cubbies, as well as along the entry wall of each classroom.
Another weather-related consideration for the district was providing ample area for durable walk-off mat carpeting. Consid- ering the amount of snow and gravel (used
42 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JULY/AUGUST 2017
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