Schools of the 21st Century

For the past four years, Architectural Record has put out an annual issue featuring innovative design in K12 schools, called Schools of the 21st Century. The latest report came out last month, and I managed to sneak the library’s copy out long enough to make some copies for myself.

What I love about these articles– really, what I love about designing schools– is that while the obvious tribute is made to the architectural qualities of the structure, the really inspiring part of any project is what it brings to the students. I know that it takes much more than an architect to make a great school happen; teachers, administrators, community members, and parents are the driving factors in a school’s success. But these architects won’t settle for less, and help push the boundaries of what a school can be.

You’ll have to sneak around the library to get your hands on the printed copy, but the projects highlighted in the magazine, and more, are available for review on AR’s website. Check these out:

Thurston Elementary School, in Springfield, OR, by locals Mahlum and Walker Macy

This project has beautiful spaces both in and out, and the use of materials is really to be admired. The school is designed with a similar mindfulness about community and collaboration as Rosa Parks Elementary, but with much better design of outdoor spaces.

Rogers IB Environmental Magnet School, in Stamford, Connecticut,  by Tai Soo Kim Partners.

How this elementary and middle school manages both an IB and an environmental studies curriculum, I do not know, and that’s pretty inspiring in itself (though not in the realm of architecture). In response to the curriculum’s focus and the ecological restoration necessary to use the brownfield site, the designers paid close attention to the building’s relationship to the landscape– and made a nice rain garden to boot.