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In Spring 2020 voters supported a referendum to replace the overcrowded/aging school. It remained functional during the new school’s construction.
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Considering every façade is visible from a major street or neighbors; it is designed to inspire joy from every angle.
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Designed for 21st Century Learning: The bright and airy Media Center is designed to inspire young learners.
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During Visioning, Stakeholders desired to “flip the classroom.” They resolved to teach in teams in the large group Hubs.
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Home Rooms are a cozy home-base for students, serving more as breakout rooms for small-group/introspective work than as traditional classrooms.
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Sandwiched between residential and airport/industrial, the finishes, scale, & color reinforce it’s a safe, fun place for children to learn.
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A holistic approach to health informed the design. 90% of student occupied spaces are daylit. Open inviting stairs promote fitness.
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Lobby Entrance sets stage for comfort/safety. Many students from the culturally/economically diverse community see the school as a safe harbor.
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Students are enticed to be curious and creative in the Media Center. Happy, joyful finishes/features add a sense of fun.
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Varied workspaces are provided throughout: “[We need] the ability for teachers and students to collaborate in different ways,” said principal.
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Acoustic design strategies applied to both the exterior envelope and interior student spaces create an environment optimized for learning comfort.
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Shared spaces like Reading and Art are adjacent to the Media Center, with abundant natural light and views outdoors.
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Common Areas pour into learning neighborhoods, reinforcing sense of connected spaces & community. Even in solitude, one is not alone.
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The variety of flexible furniture throughout the facility supports multiple modes of learning, in addition to collaboration and project-based learning.
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The walls, cabinets, and even the tables are writable surfaces to encourage students to demonstrate their learning.
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Hubs provide ample room for team teaching & STEM/group projects, with water, power, and plenty of storage for supplies.
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The more intimate Home Rooms support student-choice with a variety of flexible furnishings. They encourage multiple modes of learning.
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DLA Architects, Ltd./Alexander Romanovsky
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DLA Architects, Ltd./Alexander Romanovsky
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DLA Architects, Ltd./Alexander Romanovsky
PROJECT NARRARTIVE
The district passed a Referendum in early 2020 to replace their existing 50+-year-old school. Enrollment had increased by 33% since 2008 and the aging building was operating above capacity. It must also be a flexible 21st-century learning environment that encourages innovation and collaboration.
Each Learning Neighborhood is a central, flexible Learning Hub surrounded by 4 Learning Studios.
• Learning Studios are the more intimate Home Rooms of the students, featuring varied flexible furnishings to support student-choice and multiple modes of learning.
• The Learning Hub is flexible to support project-based learning and maker space functions.
• The Home Rooms and Learning Hubs promote independent, student-centered learning. Transparency enhances the sense of connectivity prioritized during the Visioning Process.
• An operable garage door between the Learning Hubs and Media Center allows learning to permeate into the heart of the school.
The central Media Center features a learning stair amphitheater for large group presentations. Multiple nooks and adjacent spaces provide access to differentiated learning. There are quiet spaces for personalized independent learning. The slide descending from the second floor is a subtle reminder that this is a place for children. It supports the vision for creating a playful, joyful, and happy learning environment.
New Washington Elementary School
Category
Early Childhood School/Elementary School
Description
Owner
Schiller Park School District 81
Schiller Park, IL
Architecture Firm
DLA Architects
Itasca,Illinois
dla-ltd.com
Photography By:
DLA Architects, Ltd./Alexander Romanovsky
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