| Dear Joel,
Field trips have always been fun. I still recall my children's excitement as they anticipated an upcoming school trip (i.e. adventure). Sure, there was learning, but there were new environments, lots of friends and new areas to explore. Well, I still like field trips. Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the Northeast Regional CEFPI conference in Philadelphia. My favorite day of the conference was the day we took a field trip to visit some schools. This month you will hear about the schools. 
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In This Issue
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The Haves and Have Nots...and Have It Alls
by. Joel K. Sims, AIA | |
A common dilemma I see when touring schools is that some are touted as being exceptional, yet the building design does little to contribute to the success of the learning environment. In fact, what is exceptional about the school is the curriculum, faculty and students. So, before I go discuss specific buildings, let me clearly state that I loved visiting each of the three schools represented in this article. The students and staff who led the tours were enthusiastic, polite and knowledgeable.
There was no doubt that something different is going on in each school and each is successful in its own unique ways. I saw students who were in the hallways with laptops collaborating with each other. Students even spent their lunch time on projects in order to advance their education .
Yet, not all the building designs supported the students and faculty and, as an architect, that is what I was hoping to see. The biggest issue I saw was the difference between the "haves" and "have nots." In order not to embarrass anyone, I have retitled the schools.
HaveNot High is an urban school in a big city. Haveit School is a public school (early childhood center) in the suburbs. Haveitall School is a private school in the suburbs with multiple buildings on the campus. Walk with me on a quick tour of the schools that represent the Havenots, the Haveits and the Haveitalls.
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Display Areas: Sure, it's a minor issue, and that's my point. How hard is it to add display areas in a school? Obviously harder than one might think. HaveNot High: papers falling off the wall. HaveIt School: really nice display areas. At HaveItAll School, there is a nice display area at the art room. On the corridor side, there is a display area. The display case is accessed from the art room side. In addition, there is tackboard surface on the doors that acts as a display area on the art room side. |
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| HaveNot High | HaveIt School | HaveItAll School |
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Seating: "Students love sitting on the floor," I heard someone say as we were touring HaveNot High. I don't believe it. Students prefer comfortable seating. There is nothing appealing about a hard floor. HaveNot High: lots of uncomfortable floor space and some enlarged dark hallways with bad seating. HaveIt School: comfortable seating options including movable padded benches and really nice window seating areas. At HaveItAll, there were wooden chairs and tables in the cafeteria and leather seats in the alumni center.
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| HaveNot High | HaveIt School | HaveItAll School |
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Mechanical Systems: We should have thrown out the unit ventilator when we threw out typewriters. Oh well. HaveNot High has unit ventilators - an antiquated HVAC system by today's standards. In addition, the mainframe room had to have the door propped open with a fan inserted in the opening to keep the equipment from overheating. HaveIt School has a geothermal system that is energy efficient and demonstrates to the students the district's commitment to conserving natural resources. At the HaveItAll campus, there were too many other exciting things to see than mechanical spaces (sorry engineers). Yes, after 25 years of designing K-12 schools, I finally saw a high school crew training area. |
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| HaveNot High | HaveIt School
| HaveItAll School |
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Theater: HaveNot High has creative and inspiring students in an uninspiring room. They took out some ceiling tiles to make the most of the space. Hey, there is a reason spaces like this typically have exposed ceilings. Since the HaveIt School was an early childhood center, it did not have a theater area. However, it had a really nice meeting area that was an extension of the corridor. Everyone met to hear a brief introduction of the project while some of the maverick architects initiated a self-guided tour. HaveItAll School has a workshop for making props, a "black box" and a beautiful auditorium. The wood working shop area is enough to make any one involved in prop making drool down both sides of his mouth. |
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HaveNot High
| HaveIt School | HaveItAll School |
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Exterior: Well, I understand that, in an urban environment, exterior space goes for a premium and will not be the same as a suburban environment. However, it's a shame that one of the only outdoor spaces at HaveNot High looked like a prison. The HaveNot students sat on the exit stair area to enjoy the sunshine. The HaveIt students have plenty of outdoor areas, including access to a green roof and their own tree house. HaveItAll Students have a luscious campus that is beautifully landscaped. Students gathered on the lawn or sat on rock retaining walls to chat. |
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HaveNot High
| HaveIt School | HaveItAll School |
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Break-out Areas: In any school, it is important to have areas to go to beyond the classroom. Whether they are expanded areas off corridors or lobbies, or small group instruction areas, they make a school unique and foster learning. At HaveNot High, at least they had a space, as not all schools do. However, the black floor tile and drab walls made it look more like the students were being punished than encouraged to pursue academic excellence. The HaveIt school had a bright, cheerful lobby with a seating area above and below. The well-lit areas were inviting and relaxing. At the HaveItAll school, one of my favorite places was the squash court area. Although I question how much studying I would get done, the large skylight above produced a bright magnificent space.. |
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HaveNot High
| HaveIt School | HaveItAll School |
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Fitness Areas: Well, as you can tell from our tour so far, I had to throw in a few fitness areas from the HaveItAll school just to give you a glimpse of the commitment to athletic excellence that was evident at the school. Whether you play lacrosse, are on the crew team, play squash or just work out in the weight/fitness center, there is something for everyone. When we toured the fitness room at HaveNot High, I was saddened by how little equipment they had, especially compared to the HaveItAll fitness center. At the HaveIt School there were the typical playground areas and an inviting walkway that resembled a friendly snake. |
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HaveNot High
| HaveIt School | HaveItAll School |
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When we wrapped up the tour, I began to think about all that I had learned. Sure, money helps and politics can hurt. Students are resilient and can learn in ugly buildings. Students can also become failures even though their parents shell out $25,000 a year to send them to a private school. Yet, for those of us concerned about improving school design for all, there is more to do. Do what is right. Avoid doing what is wrong. If you are not sure the difference, ask. |
Featured Product Sponsors
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Featured Designer Professionals
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Click Here to See the 2009-2010 Collabetition Design Winners!
Thank you to everyone that participated and look for upcoming information on our 5th Annual Collabetition opening in August!
(Click on image to see full submission page)   
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See our 1st Annual CollegeDesigner Winning Design Entries!
 (Click on the images to see the full submission) |
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Featured Designer Elements
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Carrboro High School,
Moseley Architects | 
Geometric Design, HMC Architects
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The Outdoor Classroom, Woods Bagot |
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| Click Here to go to our CollegeDesigner website for Higher Education ideas! |
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This month we are featuring:
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Abacus is a 20 year old national contractor specializing in multipurpose & sports flooring. Their products are not only green (sustainable) they are recycled - there is a difference. The rubber, otherwise heading for the landfill is given a second life and qualifies for LEED credits. Their clients include hundreds of Schools, Universities, Churches, Vet Clinics and Animal Training Facilities. Gym floors for basketball, volleyball & other multi-directional sports, weight rooms and running tracks are their forte.
Elementary Schools specifically require floors that can be used as cafeterias, and for social and sporting events. Outdoor shoes, tables & chairs can be used on their multipurpose, seamless floors.
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