Page 15 - School Planning & Management, January/February 2019

time for students to grab lunch and make it to their afternoon classes. The solution is to provide a diverse menu with a serving arrangement that is open to the dining room with multiple, prepared-at-the-time- of-order food stations, where students can quickly and easily grab food by-passing the point of sale, since the cost of lunch is part of the student’s tuition. This bistro concept, with a mindset on more of a com- munity restaurant, feels less stainless steel and helps save time while giving student’s freedom to pick and choose their meal plan. Open and unobstructed access to outdoor seating is also a must, which helps benefit student attitude, health, conversa- tion, and the spirit of community.
“The design of the new dining facility mimics a collegiate student union featur- ing a variety of dining stations on multiple levels, diverse seating arrangements, and multi-level covered outdoor seating op- tions. Nestled into an oak grove at the heart of campus, this dining space is a hub of activity and operates as a dining hall, café, lecture space, study hall, performance art space, and even a community art gallery that is open to the community,” adds Nick Nepveux, senior project designer with Glenn|Partners.
Go Smaller, Not Bigger
Unlike large, centralized cafeterias
that may go unused for the majority of the school day, which also are expensive to operate, Alcuin School chose to go smaller, not bigger. By implementing more intimate and distributed dining centers through- out the new West Campus Upper School Building, the school is able to maximize the building footprint for student learning while lowering overall construction costs. This simple strategy puts the choice and food prep responsibility in the hands of the student, while eliminating upfront cost of expensive kitchen equipment. By locating these “distributed dining centers” within the academic and learning areas, access can be nimble and frequent, thus, blurring the lines between class time and lunch-
Blurring the lines. Distributed dining centers, located within the academic and learning areas
of the Alcuin School, in Dallas, are more student-centered dining areas where students have the flexibility and independence to prepare their own meals while the seating area doubles as student collaboration and technology hot-spots during non-lunch times throughout the school day.
time. This concept gives students more time to focus on their studying, while using these open meal hubs as a place of focus and collaboration with peer study groups.
As reinforced by Greg Estes, senior proj- ect architect with Glenn|Partners; “Alcuin School chose to break down the traditional idea of a high school cafeteria by distribut- ing smaller, more student-centered dining areas where students have the flexibility and independence to prepare their own meals while the seating area doubles as student col- laboration and technology hot-spots during non-lunch times throughout the school day.”
Student-Led career Tech Bistros and Community Café´s
As CTE programs at high schools across the country continue to flourish, leading school administrators are working with district CTE directors to find creative and smart ways to supplement the student experience by offering entrepreneurial learning opportunities through authen-
tic and blended curriculum. At JJ Pearce High School, located in Richardson, Texas, designers were asked to create a space where the school’s culinary arts students could have real-world business experiences
that provides an abbreviated menu of food and drink options for student purchase and consumption. The new student-led café, coined “Mustang Market” after the school’s mascot, will be located adjacent to the recently renovated media center as a shared extension for the library.
Connecting this new experiential edu- cation program with shared collaboration and learning space, within the existing library, facilitates a seamless transition of food and thought, while encouraging students to utilize the reimagined media center not only for study, but also as a
It is important to create dining spaces where students feel inspired and comfortable while also providing multi-purpose academic and learning opportunities before, during, and after school.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 15