Questions for Design Exploration

My initial research began by looking into the trends in school facilities particularly in urban locations. One case study focused on the school district in New York City which initiated a reform of twenty-two schools. The focus was to create smaller school environments. The results from the initiative showed increases in students’ academic performance, and higher graduation rates. Additional research in school design philosophy encourages community involvement. This included extending the usage time of the building beyond the time the students were there. The school could begin to function as a community center and neighborhood revitalizer. As the traditional program of a school expands to include community needs, various issues and questions begin to arise.
Flexibility and Adaptability - such to accommodate large or small student and/or community groups
Technology – The incorporation of technology and the internet into the classroom and the surrounding community. The ability to connect with others in the city, country and the world.
Safety and Security – How to control, regulate, and observe those entering the facility. Who has access to a particular area and when? What are the dynamics of overlap?
Healthy Environments – Inclusive of natural light and ventilation. What can the school give back to the community and the city?
How does the exterior of the building and overall aesthetics strengthen the school’s identity and purpose?
What can the building itself teach the students? Can the design of the building facilitate learning beyond the classroom?
How to plan for the future? Will the building always be a school?

Abstract

The traditional American high school with a ringing bell to signify the end of each period has become cherished as an iconic institution. Today, as many urban public school systems are facing the challenge of reforming high schools in order to combat issues such as: decreasing graduation rates, below average reading and mathematics scores, attendance, and security, perhaps the large impersonal school facilities are in need of a transformation as well. The current trend in school facilities shows an increase in academic performance and student behavior when students are enrolled in a ‘small school.’ A small school is defined as a student population with less than four hundred students. Within an urban environment, a school can develop as a shared public resource, which can function as a multipurpose learning platform. The integration and interaction of the community and its needs into the school program can play a vital role in the revitalization of a neighborhood. The school can evolve into the community center by accommodating a large variety of user groups. Schools located within cities have a rich field for learning and discovery compared to their homogenous residential suburbs. There are obvious options offered by cultural and service institution such as museums, libraries and hospitals, but there are also overlooked opportunities; depressed neighborhoods, industrial blight, and brown fields can be addressed in programs of study which can prepare students to be active agents in urban and environmental conservation and revitalization. Schools much like children need to be loved, supported and protected. The public schools should embody the goals, dreams and ideas for its current and future students thus becoming nodes of affirmation and progress within the city.