THE SCHOOL WITHOUT WALLS
Washington, DC
Out of the Urban Landscape,
Inspired Design
Nestled into the middle of a city block in Washington, DC, The School Without Walls revitalizes a historic building and delivers a stunning learning environment
It’s historical. It’s modern. It’s high school. It’s college.
The School Without Walls rises out of a cramped city block in a splendor of innovation that wowed judges and earned the renovation/addition design project a LEARNING BY DESIGN 2010 Grand Prize Award. Designed by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, Washington, DC, “Walls” combines the 19th century Grant School building—a local landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places—with a new, impressive addition that is pursuing LEED Gold certification.
“There’s an integrity to the contrast between the new and the old,” said the LEARNING BY DESIGN judges. “It’s skillfully integrated.”
Walls serves 460 students in grades 9 through 12 who participate in an innovative early college curriculum that enables them to earn an associate’s degree from George Washington University. The high school and university are physically and programmatically integrated; however, the Grand Prize-winning school gives Walls students a breathtaking and distinct learning environment.
“It brings out the best of the old building with a remarkable new building,” noted LEARNING BY DESIGN judges. “This actually—through the construction of the new addition—celebrates what was great about the old building. The media center, for example, has a view of the entire GWU campus. Those details are really thoughtful.”
Bright Building, Bright Futures
Completed in July 2009, Walls maximizes its snug half-acre site and 68,000 square feet thanks to the spaces it shares with the university, including the gymnasia, auditoria, and food court. This allowed the design team to create open, flexible “college-ready” classrooms in the new building that university students and faculty can use after the high school day is over.
“They’ve taken the old prototype for learning and not necessarily reconfigured it from a footprint point of view,” observed the judges. “But they’ve reconfigured it in terms of how they’re using it.”
Judges also noted the extraordinary way Walls’ design maximizes the use of daylight, especially for a learning environment squeezed into an urban college campus. Restored and expansive new windows flood classrooms and shared spaces with sunlight throughout the day, and two linear skylights create the transition between the existing and new buildings.
Additionally, a new entry plaza and bay window contribute to the generous use of natural daylight and create a bright and cheerful introduction to the high school.
Creative Connections
LEARNING BY DESIGN judges praised the Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn design team for skillfully blending the renovated building and the new addition. “As you move through the school, you don’t necessarily know when you’ve left the old building and entered the new space. It’s subtle, very well done.”
The seamless transition between the historic building and the technology-rich addition is a fitting model for Walls’ innovative curriculum and relationship to GWU. Students follow a rigorous college preparatory program amid the university campus, giving them a realistic and valuable jumpstart on life after high school. And much like the subtle relationship between the historic Grant School and the modern addition that creates The School Without Walls, students experience a seamless transition to post-secondary education while in a learning environment that is perhaps like no other in the nation.
“Old buildings do some great things for us,” said LEARNING BY DESIGN judges. “It looks like an amazing place for kids to learn.”
Photo Captions: The School Without Walls maximizes its use of daylight, especially for a learning environment squeezed into an urban college campus. Restored and expansive new windows flood classrooms and shared spaces with sunlight throughout the day. Photo Credits: Joseph Romeo
POQUOSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Poquoson, VA
Thoughtful Design,
Excellence in Every Detail
Virginia’s Poquoson Elementary School leverages the best in education architecture to create a stimulating and ‘magical’ environment for young learners
In the wake of Hurricane Isabel in 2003, the city of Poquoson, VA, was under water, including the elementary school. But out of disaster, innovation was born—and the res ult is a stunning new building that leverages every square foot for the benefit of 675 very fortunate students. Designed by VMDO Architects, PC, Charlottesville, VA, Poquoson Elementary School grabbed the judges’ attention and earned a LEARNING BY DESIGN 2010 Grand Prize Award.
The design team was “very clever about every little piece of the building,” judges commented. “Every part of the building becomes a learning opportunity.” Serving grades 3 to 5, Poquoson Elementary School features a meticulously planned sundial on the face of its main entrance. The sundial adds to the building’s iconic look and serves as an innovative teaching tool. “The smaller-scale learning spaces are really excellent,” judges commented, “and the quality of the materials is exceptional.”
Solving Future Challenges
Poquoson Elementary School serves three grades, but the design team made its plan expandable so the building could also include the sixth grade, if needed down the road. The building is organized into “grade houses,” with each one named for nearby wetland ecosystems. Each grade house features 10 classrooms that surround a multipurpose double-height shared space that is effective for classroom instruction as well as informal learning opportunities.
Judges noted that all of the school’s shared spaces face the outdoors, providing plentiful natural light. Additionally, they were impressed with the design team’s choice of colors—bright, but not trendy. “There’s an integrity and an honesty in the way that the design plan is implemented,” judges said. “Plus, this is really the age when students are moving from home life to community life, and this building supports that transition.”
Individualized Learning Experiences
Judges also noted the design team’s success with breaking down the scale of the building, particularly for younger learners. “The scale of the materials in the courtyard, the patterning, while fairly bold, are very thoughtful and won’t become outdated,” judges commented. “They’ve even been strategic about the furniture they’ve chosen. There was attention to detail all the way down to where you sit.” Focus on the experience of each student is what makes this design project so successful, judges added. “A child can have his own environment to learn that feels special.”
Photo Captions: Designed by VMDO Architects, Poquoson Elementary School features a meticulously planned sundial on the face of its main entrance (top). The sundial adds to the building’s iconic look and serves as an innovative teaching tool. Additionally, a multipurpose double-height shared space (bottom) provides a light-filled environment for classroom instruction as well as informal learning opportunities. Photo Credits: Prakash Patel
