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One of the questions that I am frequently asked is " So, you're an architect, right?" followed by " do you still do school design?". Well, the answer is yes to both questions.
I still design schools in Pennsylvania and consult occasionally with other architects that need an expert in other parts of the country and world. But I have been careful not to use the website to promote my own architectural firm (oops I just did). Our work is secured by word of mouth (I despise going to interviews) so we stay a small firm focused primarily on educational design.
When I started the website and e-newsletter in 2006, the goal was to elevate the quality of school design around the world. By working with our readership (one that has now surpassed 35,000) a lot has been accomplished. Staying involved in school design helps me direct our staff to the topics that really matter.
This month we are "going retro" to focus on past articles. Some of you may not know what great articles have been featured in the past. There are many design professionals represented and many great products.
So, take a look. I would love to hear what past article (s) you enjoy the most.
As always, I enjoy hearing from you,
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Noteworthy Articles
AUDITORIUM DESIGN
The school auditorium is perhaps the most visited part of the school. While those in the community may or may not see a typical classroom in a school ,they have more than likely visited the auditorium for a community event, school performance or graduation ceremony.
What's so difficult about designing an auditorium? Plenty of seats, a stage, some overhead lights, and a microphone should do the trick. If only it were that simple. The following list of things to consider when designing an auditorium is certainly not exhaustive, but it does include some critical points. Break a leg on your next auditorium project!
BENT ON DESIGNING FLEXIBLE SPACES IN SCHOOLS
When a person becomes so flexible that he can contort his body in a myriad of configurations, it becomes grotesque. An overabundance of flexibility in a human is unsettling and freakish. The open classroom, if it took on a human form, might take center stage at a freak show. Standing beside the "open classroom" at the freak show would be the multipurpose room. Designed for physical education and dining, this space never performed either function particularly well. When a space has one function it becomes very easy for a school designer to create the space to work well. When a space has two, three, or four functions, there is the potential that none of the functions will work particularly well within the designed space. If we are not careful, we add more attractions to the "flexibility freak show."
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DESIGNING SCHOOLS TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY
On average, schools are not only old, they are out of shape. They aren't able to keep up with the demands put on them when districts try to run with new programs focused on fitness. For example, multipurpose rooms that serve as cafeterias and gyms no longer function well for today's fitness programs.
Many schools were planned without thought given to how students can safely walk or ride their bikes to school. Playgrounds have been cut from project budgets. An overemphasis of competitive sports has created a disproportionate amount of funding going to a select group of high profile sports, while minimizing opportunities for the majority of students who desperately need exercise.
GREEN SCHOOL DESIGN
Without being critical of their efforts, many professionals leading the charge in green design are the extremists. It's an "all or nothing" focus. Receiving the highest LEED rating is the goal. Getting recognized for achieving LEED certification is equally important. However, when design meetings start with conversations about "grey water, waterless urinals and grassy roofs, there is a danger that supporters will wane or disappear altogether before they can identify with a concept they can support. So, while LEED certification is right for some clients, it may too much of a leap for others. This raises the question: Where should we focus?
HOW TO SELECT YOUR NEXT ARCHITECT
True stories from inside the school marketing sector.
by Yugo Marketing (actual name withheld)
While there are many reputable architectural firms that I have competed against through the years and many fine school districts I have worked with through the years, marketing in the public school sector is not without its difficulties. To make it easier, here are a few questions to ask when looking to hire an architect for your next project.
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MAKING SCHOOLS SAFER
In this issue of The Schooldesigner, we assist in making schools safer with practical advice.
Years ago, I had the opportunity to work on the design for renovations and additions to a public elementary school near the Amish schoolhouse where the tragedies occurred. I can't help but wonder, "Did we make that one elementary school safer so that it was not the target of the school shooting?"
Similarly, many of you readers work diligently to make schools safer and, for that, you should be commended. But there is more to be done.
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SCHOOL AS ART
"I don't think schools should be dumbed down architecturally for students," says Sean Coulter, AIA, LEED AP, principal in charge of design for Welles Puglsey Architects, Las Vegas. "Kids are sophisticated. They understand intricate design, and they appreciate it.
"Let's go with that - intricately designed schools that also function exceptionally well as schools. We're talking about balance in color and texture, flowing lines, and responding to the environment in which it's sited but also having a unique expression. Let's add a variety of materials that students can touch and learn from - durable materials that aren't necessarily rectilinear as we've come to think of most durable materials - to create interesting forms.
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SCHOOLDESIGNER TRENDS
Often the challenge for architects and educators is getting students to connect with their environment. "The classroom is no longer four walls and desks on a grid,It's expanding to the hallway, the gym, the bus port, and the cafeteria" says Steve Crane of VCBO Architecture. I would add that the classroom is even expanding beyond the building into the school yard. In Virginia, VMDO Architects is in the process of designing a new school with a sundial and wetlands area."
Other firms, like RuckPate Architecture, are moving toward the use of outdoor amphitheaters that double as outdoor classrooms and community resources. The trend is getting students to be involved in the learning process, even if it takes painting the pipes in the mechanical room to attract their interest.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLASSROOM DESIGN
Peter Lippman, Assoc. AIA, serves as an Educational Resource Planner with JCJ Architecture. He also teaches architecture at the City College of the City University of New York and is a frequent conference presenter. Peter recently shared his insights and thoughts on classroom design.
Sims: What have you observed lately regarding classroom design?
Lippman: I just came back from a two-week trip to Australia, where experts are re-thinking how to improve their learning environments. This trip confirmed for me that we should be designing schools around the notion of how people learn rather than the egg crate model. It is unfortunate that there are many places in the United States where designers are content to simply provide a box for a classroom, where the teacher stands at the front of the space providing students with information, rather than knowledge. This isn't the best strategy for designing classrooms.
THE MASTER PLAN
The value of a master plan is multi-fold. For instance, it provides an overall picture of where a district is, what problems need to be corrected, and what changes will occur as it moves into the future. "Often, what we find is that people within institutions repair problems, only to find that additional problems are created," says Steve Smith, AIA, principal with Michigan based TMP Associates Architecture. "This ripple effect makes it pretty clear that they should have looked at the larger picture and tried to treat more than a symptom in solving a problem."
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THE RAMP LESS TRAVELED
These might look like typical, ordinary ramps to an untrained eye. But these ramps, designed for Lowell High School in Indiana and Medina High School in Ohio, are unique because they were incorporated right into the architectural design of these schools. (click here) As a result, the ramp not only becomes a central part of the school's design, it actually adds to the building's beauty. The simplicity of this design element begs the question: why aren't more architects doing this?
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THE UGLY SIDE OF VALUE ENGINEERING
Value engineering is a common term in school design and construction that has gained popularity through the years as a way to save the owner (i.e., school district) money while maintaining the overall quality of a project. Telling the school board you are saving the district money is a politically acceptable thing to do. It is always met with positive feedback.
As I have talked with design professionals through the years, the term value engineering tends to strike a nerve. Some will say "value engineering is neither," meaning, of course, that it does not create value and it is not engineering. But perhaps the term is appropriate since often "value" is "engineered" right out of a project.
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TRENDS IN URBAN SCHOOL DESIGN
"For schools to achieve effective facilities, stakeholders have to assess their challenges, set a plan to resolve those challenges, and build a program," says Joel K. Sims, AIA, president of Sims Architects, Lancaster, Pa. "As numerous schools work through this process, trends start to be noted from school to school."
Indeed, trends in school design come and go, just as they do in the fashion industry. Here's a fresh look at trends in urban school design.
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"FreeD" to a Good Home!
UPDATE! The tables have found a new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico with a non-profit school.
An Architectural firm, FXFOWLE (New York, NY) is interested in making a charitable  donation of 20 - 30 drafting tables (including Mayline parallel bars and Borco vinyl board covers) to a good home . The organization must be a non-profit entity and provide the necessary documents for tax purposes. You will also be responsible for pick up or delivery charges. FxFowle is offering the use of their delivery service but you will incur the cost. They are in perfect working condition in an off-site storage facility. The photo shows what they look like.
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