Paradoxical Pedagogy

One of the major objectives in the design of this new building, within the pastoral setting of the school’s existing campus, was to move away from the conventional large box form of other schools to create a unique identity. This private school for grades pre-k through 6, teaches students to not only love and appreciate God’s world, but to also learn from it, in order to do their part for the environment.

The placement of the building atop the site allows for an unfolding experience. The multi-purpose room, the first piece seen from the road through a field of trees, gives hints of the architectural elements consistent throughout the school. The visitor is embraced upon reaching the crescent shaped building, fronted by a dry stack stone garden wall and wood and concrete trellis. The trellis and garden wall create a blur between interior and exterior. The large openings in the garden wall allow for large amounts of natural light into classrooms, and let the classrooms spatially extend out into the site.

The true beauty of the site is expressed upon entering the school, seeing straight through a double height curtain wall framing and focusing on the expansive landscape. The library’s tree canopy truss and stone piers march through and continue outside the building, creating an entrance from the lower end of the site.

The gallery and classrooms at the lower level in the rear of the building extend out to a flag court which is defined by a lower dry stack stone garden wall. The whole school will be able to gather together and engage the landscape that the building has become a part of in this outdoor classroom.