Page 40 - School Planning & Management, November 2017

Building Blueprints { FACILITIES IN FOCUS }
These Aren’t Your Parent’s Labs
COLLABORATIVE AND HANDS-ON LAB SPACES ALLOW THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS TO FLOW MORE FREELY AND RESULT IN PRODUCTIVE TEAMWORK.
by DERK JEFFREY AND JENNIFER HENRIKSON
AS SCIENCE AND TECHNOL- OGY professionals relentlessly push boundaries and generate change, school districts are quickening their pace to meet present needs and pre- pare for future demands.
Rather than simply read-
ing about hypothetical
situations from a textbook,
today’s students prefer to learn “hands- on,” in flexible spaces that foster team- based interaction and creative thinking. By breaking down the walls that have traditionally isolated academic content from its practical applications, students are now learning in ways that develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in both college and the workplace.
In Virginia, construction is underway on the Loudoun County Public Schools’
Academies of Loudoun, a STEM education and career readiness academy where the mission is to provide a 21st-century learn- ing environment that creates opportuni- ties for students and faculty to “innovate,
explore, research and collaborate.” The three- story, 300,000-square-foot facility, which opens in
the fall of 2018, will bring the existing Academy of Science, the existing Monroe Advanced Technology Academy and the new Academy of Engineering & Technology together under one roof, offering 2,500 stu- dents in grades 9 through 12 a truly unique and integrated learning experience.
The academies’ design was developed in collaboration with district leaders and community members, and brought to life by Stantec’s team of planners, architects,
SCIENCE, LABORATORY, RESEARCH SPACE
40 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / NOVEMBER 2017
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