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From among this year's architectural entries, the Learning By Design judging panel selected these 10 schools as special Citation Award Winners: Merrill Elementary
School This project shows what can be accomplished with older buildings. The architects were quite creative in this renovation and addition, turning an aging elementary school into a modern educational complex. A new entry canopy and exterior finish provide an enticing appearance, and raised ceilings inside create a spacious interior. The renovation and addition pay particular attention to the varied needs of learners by enlarging small classrooms and converting a multipurpose room into science, music, and art rooms. Infrastructure improvements -- including upgrades of the mechanical and electrical systems and the incorporation of technology -- helped bring this facility into the 21st century. Samuel W.
Tucker Elementary School Situated on a limited urban site, this compact K-5 elementary school packs great design and exceptional learning environments into just 2.2 acres. This two-story school is a good example of the new trend of building up instead of out. K-2 classrooms are situated on the first floor, while the second floor includes a media center, a dedicated science lab, two music rooms, and an art studio. Double-size classrooms allow for teaming but can be divided into separate rooms. Extended learning areas allow for small-group activities and project work. A "Main Street" separates noisy public spaces from quiet academic areas. The school district worked with the city parks and recreation authorities to use adjacent parkland as a playground, designed with age-appropriate play areas. An outdoor pavilion allows for play in bad weather. Arthur D.
Healey School A dense urban site dictated a multistory solution. Primary, elementary, and middle grades are clustered on their own floors in a compact plan that helps make an otherwise large building into a visually manageable whole. The exterior reinforces the concept. The metal skin helps break the large facade into smaller elements and juxtaposes a modern feel with the brick detailing, which hearkens back to the historic school buildings of this region. The interior is painted a delightful palette of jewel colors, and simple materials are transformed through the arrangement of painted elements. East Houston
Intermediate School This school represents a successful solution to a problem faced by many cash-strapped school systems. Use of a masonry-faced, pre-engineered building system resulted in the low cost of $86 per square foot. The cross design maximizes the use of the pre-engineered system and is easily expandable. The middle school team concept is well supported by a pod of classrooms around a commons area. Circulation through this commons minimizes expensive corridor space. Novi Middle School The educational program called for an extremely flexible public space without paying the high cost of separate areas for a cafeteria, an auditorium, and a lobby/commons, and the architect was able to deliver these in a nice multiuse space with a striking and functional entrance. A well-thought-out educational technology plan includes a voice/data/video-retrieval system throughout the building. Saxe Middle School In this renovation and addition, new and existing learning areas are organized into teams connected by a variety of common areas. Breakout areas provide casual yet supervised settings for small-group work, informal conferencing, and special events. Each area has built-in window seats, data and video connections, and a whiteboard. To eliminate dead-end halls and internal traffic congestion, the new design provides multiple pathways to all areas. High window walls make space open and airy, resulting in a bright and cheerful environment. Diamond Ranch High
School This modern high school was built on an "unbuildable/unusable" site that was purchased by the school district for $1. To take advantage of the site's natural beauty, the playing fields and buildings are integrated into the surrounding hillside. The campus is organized in 120 student clusters, breaking the 1,600-pupil school into manageable units while encouraging personal interaction between students and staff. In the interest of energy management, a majority of the exterior wall surface area has been placed below grade so as not to expose it to direct heat gain. Daylight was used extensively throughout the building, reducing the amount of energy used in lighting the classrooms. Parkland High School This school is well-designed for safety and security, with cameras at each entrance as well as a number of interior cameras. Motion detectors monitor which rooms are occupied. State-of-the-art technology includes local-area data network, wide-area network, voice and data drops, voice mail, and video distribution. The school also has capabilities for video teleconferencing and distance learning. A computerized energy-management system controls heat, ventilation, and air conditioning. Lights and climate control are activated by detectors so only occupied spaces use energy. Site development has been well thought out in this campus plan that allows flexibility and community use. There are three entrances for community use: one for the auditorium, one for cafeteria and gym, and one for academics and administration. Walled Lake Central
High School This major expansion and revitalization of an existing high school converts the old school into a spectacular new 2,000-student complex that is flooded with natural light. The new entrance gives the school a new image. The design allows for instruction in various configurations, with nice use of clusters and separation of public functions, and great flow of interior and exterior traffic. Taconic Hills K-12
School Building two schools within a single building allowed for combined resources and amenities such as an indoor/outdoor performing arts center and an aquatic center. The simple facade carries symbolic connotations of historical schools in this region, a look that it underscored by the stone window-sill detailing. The interior is alive with light, with exterior thematic elements carried inside. The use of wood and the color pallete gives the building a warm atmosphere. Multiuse areas separate this 2,000-student building into two distinct schools. © 2001, NSBA |
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