Page 3 - School Planning & Management, April/May 2019

NEWS & VIEWS { FACILITIES | SECURITY | TECHNOLOGY | BUSINESS } Ground Broke for
Shepaug AgSTEM Project
Hot Tips
This Month
Ergonomic Furniture
FREE TIME (AND SPACE)
SHOULD BE A PRIORITY
EXPERTS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS
agree: learning is not just about the input and output of information. More than ever before, research is recognizing the immense value of play, freedom, exploration, and discovery in education, and just how vital these elements are to the learning process. At every level of learning, from preschool to the college level, the inclusion of free time and space can have an incredibly positive impact on education.
How Free Time Connects to Innovation
The interrelation of creativity, innovation, and free time has been extensively explored at the highest echelons of corporate culture. This alone demonstrates the value of free time for productivity and the development of new ideas. It’s interesting to note that “the best places to work” are those that implement the most flex- ible and creativity-forward seating solutions, mirrored in the use of soft seating for schools.
Often the most intelligent students squirm and suffer distraction under traditional circum- stances, while those for whom stimulating intellectual factors (free time, challenging and engaging exercises) and conducive physical factors (ergonomic furniture, freedom of movement) are more likely to excel.
Extending Free Time into Free Space
For students who feel mentally restricted by the rigor and inflexibility of traditional classrooms, restriction of space can be just as harmful. This principle applies to individual fur- niture pieces, as well as the overall layout of the classroom. Ergonomically correct furniture that supports a wide range of natural movement
is key. For classroom activities that emphasize creative alone time as well as collaboration, educational soft seating can also help to create a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere in which optimal learning is prioritized.
>>Dietmar Lang is the director of Marketing & Product for VS America. He can be reached at 704/378-6500 or info@vsamerica.com.
>> A groundbreaking was recently held to kick off the Shepaug Valley (Region 12) Regional Agriscience STEM Academy project in Washington, Conn. The proj- ect includes the construction of a new, 52,000-square-foot Agriscience STEM center that will include classrooms, laboratory space (food science, plant science, veterinary science, small animal and computer labs), storage areas, outbuildings, animal-growing rooms, offices, meeting rooms, and indoor riding/demonstration areas. The facility will support the school’s new AgSTEM program that will serve 139 students from the region. The O&G Industries’ Building Group is the construction manager for the project. Kaestle Boos As- sociates is the project architect. The project will be completed in the winter of 2019.
Leadership Center Project Scheduled to Open Late 2019
Earlier this year, Allen Construction began work on a new 6,121-square-foot, state-of-the-art, leadership center at Dunn School in Los Olivos, Calif. Once completed, the Cindy Bronfman Leader- ship Center will be a multi-purpose facility that serves as the hub of whole- student education and leadership at Dunn School. The building is designed based on a “first principles” approach by taking full advantage of natural phenomena to achieve energy efficiency. The building will have three large wind chimneys to capture and funnel hot air out the top of the building. The floors will be exposed concrete, which will help cool the build- ing naturally during warmer months, and large bay doors can be opened to allow the valley breezes to cool the building even further. The facility is expected to be completed by late 2019.
Royse City Breaks Ground on Bobby Summers Middle School
Royse City ISD students, staff, administrators, members of the VLK Ar- chitects team, and community members gathered for a groundbreaking ceremo- ny on the district’s new Bobby Summers Middle School. The school’s namesake was also in attendance to commemorate this new campus. This facility is the largest project included in the district’s 2018 bond and will serve 1,200 middle school students in grades six through eight. The new building is designed to promote outdoor engagement with a
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APRIL/MAY 2019 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 3