Bioscience High School in Phoenix takes the nation’s top design award honors
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| Bioscience High School in Phoenix, a project of Orcutt | Winslow, features massive east- and west-facing walls of cast concrete adorned with fossil-like designs |
Highschool
Bioscience High School
Rising out of the urban desert, Bioscience High School is a vision of sleek architecture and native design wrapped up in one. So impressed were the Learning By Design judges by its intricately planned classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, and smooth circulation, the exceptionally designed and constructed educational facility, a project of Orcutt | Winslow in Phoenix, received the Learning By Design 2009 Grand Prize Award.
The distinguished panel of judges said Bioscience High School “fires on all cylinders” and has “a wonderful industrial aesthetic” that “echoes trends in the professional sciences where such spaces foster collaboration and cross-disciplinary interaction.”
The comprehensive high school, located on the Phoenix Biomedical Research campus, supports a special focus on math and science for 400 students in grades 9 through 12. Judges noted that the building’s design effectively accommodates several small learning communities where students are treated like professionals. Each student has his or her own work station, supported by adjacent laboratory space, resulting in “a very interesting and well-organized plan.” Plus, finishing details throughout the approximately 52,000-square-foot building successfully complete the professional look and feel of the award-winning school.
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Learning By Design judges noted that such design details give the high school a creative and eye-catching look that fits its Southwest contextThe award-winning school also features a three-story Town Hall and a third-floor lounge that provides stunning views of greater Phoenix (below). |
Extraordinary, inside and out
The interior of Bioscience High School “has got a wonderful industrial aesthetic that creates the feeling of going to school at a major research institution,” judges said. On the exterior, massive east- and west-facing walls of cast concrete are adorned with fossil-like designs that frame large expanses of north- and south-facing glass. The “fossil walls” give the high school a creative and eye-catching look that is appropriate to its Southwest context.
Another striking feature of Bioscience High School is its three-story Town Hall, used for presentations and cafeteria space, which opens to an internal desert courtyard. Judges said the Town Hall was among the first features of the school that grabbed their attention and called it a creative way to create the heart of the building.
“That open space seems to provide a notable arrival to the school and allows groups to use the space as an extension of the classrooms, labs, and common spaces inside the building,” judges commented.
The school’s design also turns what could have been a common set of stairs into a “monumental” staircase, judges said. The stairs are exposed and visible from different levels of the school. Plus, the stairs are accented by a rich reddish color that gives them an artistic look throughout the building.
Real-world details
In addition to Bioscience High School’s creative plan and thoughtful finishing details, the building features sustainable strategies, such as solar panels that provide hot water to lab spaces and expansive windows that allow natural light to penetrate the open and flexible teaching spaces.
The building also provides opportunities for casual interaction outside each small learning community, judges noted. “These were well-situated with natural light and views over the entry court”—or Town Hall space.
The school’s plan also aims to support the district’s program, which emphasizes team-teaching and independent learning. Work areas are strategically located adjacent to student studio areas, giving students immediate access to faculty while still encouraging independent learning.
Overall, Bioscience High School has a compelling, high-tech presence that students and the community must find exciting, judges said. A third-floor lounge provides stunning views of greater Phoenix, and the professional look and feel of the entire building create a learning environment that works to motivate and inspire students. The building’s design and its thoughtful execution results in an award-winning school that creates an enriching learning environment.
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