Page 33 - School Planning & Management, January/February 2019

Inside the Classrooms
As the Montessori principles encour- age hands-on activities, children have the ability to interact with others in a secure and inviting classroom, which can be seen from the meticulously placed observation windows. Parents and faculty are able
to watch their children and/or students without interfering with the learning environment. Malik explained that it was important for the windows to blend into the environment, even though they were slightly darker on one side because of the nature of the observation windows.
Into the Future
Another important goal of GWMS is the ability to grow in the future. Malik explained that she hopes to organically grow the school by one grade level each year until GWMS is the only school in the Jefferson County Public Schools District to facilitate infants through 18-year-olds. With that plan in place, however, the primary or kindergarten-aged classrooms will never be downsized, according to Malik. These classrooms in particular act as “communities” for the kindergarten- aged children. To align with the school’s values, the physical space needed to ac- commodate the learning that was taking place in these classrooms. For example, Malik explained that kindergarteners spend much of their learning time in the classroom (when they are not outside playing or in their community gardens), so the space needed to be big enough to allow movement and provide flexibility for larger learning lessons. While most requirements in Colorado are set at 35 square feet per child, GWMS is close to double that because of the various learn- ing styles that are incorporated into the students’ education.
While the school is certainly func- tional for all, Malik was vocal about it also needing to be beautiful. Her philosophy
is that if children are given a beautiful space, they will feel valued and appreciat- ed and in turn take care of the space that was provided to them. The project team
Each kindergarten classroom is ap- proximately 1,650 square feet, which is well above national standards of around 900 square feet. Given the large square footage, this allowed architects to stra- tegically place furniture and fixtures, following the Montessori guidelines of creating small group learning environ- ments. In addition, part of GWMS’s learn- ing philosophy is to prepare students to be independent, self-sufficient members of their communities. With this philoso- phy in place, MOA Architecture designed the spaces with a more “residential feel,” which allows teachers to teach the stu- dents in practical everyday lessons such as dishwashing, food prep, and crafts
that resonate outside the classroom and impact their daily lives. Each classroom is also equipped with child-sized coun- tertops and casework drawers to give children the independence to do their tasks in a comfortable, safe environment. Each classroom is also equipped with an overhead “garage door,” which helps to es- tablish a clear indoor-outdoor connection. Additionally, the owner requested a large amount of glazing to provide abundant light into the classrooms.
Classroom: Each kindergarten classroom is ap- proximately 1,650 square feet, which allows chil- dren the necessary space for learning activities.
Exterior: GWMS opened in August 2018 in Lakewood, Colo.
certainly delivered on curb appeal, and the students have held up their end of the bargain as well, treating the school with care and respect. As the students excel in their studies, the building will be there as they grow to provide the support needed tohelpthemsucceed. SPM
>>Torrey Sims is the Business Development manager at Vanir Construction Management, Inc., based in the firm’s Lakewood, Colo., office. She can be reached at Torrey.Sims@vanir.com. Kevin Sullivan, AIA, A4LE, is a principal at Denver, Colo.-based MOA Architecture. He can be reached at: ksullivan@moaarch.com.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 33