Arcola Community School Educational Design for the Creative Age The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those.

Arcola Community School Educational Design for the Creative

Age

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn. - Alvin Toffler

Arcola Community School opening Fall 2012• First of four new Pre-K – Eighth grade schools for the Regina Public School Board designed in association with Fielding Nair International (FNI)• Supports the RPS ‘Structural Innovation’ initiative including: flexible learning arrangements, teacher collaboration, interdisciplinary, project-based, and inquiry based teaching and learning, inclusive practice for all learners, which here includes the Visually Impaired Program

Project Overview• Construction of a new community school will replace the current Arcola Community School, which will be kept operational during construction• Site is shared with the City and includes a large easement through the site – the design made use of opportunity for an elongated east-west massing to take advantage of daylight and future expansion• Designed with community involvement and many ‘Green’ features

Process• Community Engagement during the Visioning Sessions held throughout the programming and conceptual design stages, in this case including presentations by FNI/P3A regarding 21st century learning• Student and Staff Involvement throughout design process •P3A and the Design Team held Sustainable Design, Architecture as a Profession, and School Design Idea sessions with grades 3-8 as part of the design process

Committee MeetingsA concept plan was developed through a committee of residents, parents, school representatives, design team and community stakeholders through numerous meeting over a series of months. Initial concepts and ideas were brainstormed about to ‘think outside the box’ and develop a plan that would be UNIQUELY SASKATCHEWAN THEMED, serve as a teaching tool, be used 4 seasons and an amenity to the whole community.

Community Open HouseArcola Community School, the City of Regina and P3A hosted an open house to get feedback on a future plans for the site. The plan that came out of the committee meetings was presented and the public was invited to view the plan and encouraged to give feedback on the ideas.

Structural Innovations and 21st Century Learning• Student population is divided into 3 Personal Learning Communities, each with its own entry, flexible learning studios and shared commons and amenities at the heart.• These support the more than 20 different learning modalities including Project based learning, small group work, student presentations and independent study.

Entry, Admin. & Community Shared Spaces

GYM

Entry Lounge and Gym Nutrition

LoungeLearning Entry Commons

Wet/Messy

Admin Staff and Prep

PLC- 1 Entry

Entry Lounge and Gym Elevation

Learning Studios

Learning Studio

PLC 2 Teacher Entry Collab. da Vinci Studio Learning Commons Quiet

Learning Modalities• Learning studios are used instead of factory production style ‘cells & bells’ traditional layout• Makes use of collaborative areas , break out areas, outdoor connection and flexibility in the

spaces to open onto each other to accommodate different sizes and styles of learning.

PLC 3

Open to Learning Commons Below

PCL-3 2nd Floor

Separate PLC Entry“Visible” Mechanical Room

Teacher CollaborationWet/Messy work area

View down into the gymPLC Commons area

da Vinci StudioProject Terrace with south

exposure and view to GREEN ROOF

Green Roof

The stairs from PLC-3 are a “water-fall” emptying into the river below and act as perch points and seating for events and assemblies.

LEED & Building as 3D Textbook• On target to meet LEED Silver Certification (currently

meeting LEED GOLD on paper), which reduces the long term operating costs of the building but also provides innovations to teach the students and community about sustainable practices.

• Includes Daylighting and Lighting Controls, read out screens for Energy Monitoring, Green Roof & Terrace, Rain Water Cistern and Blue Stained (Beetle Killed) Pine Glulam, exposed Radiant Flooring and Living Wall.

Sensible Sustainability Do what makes sense and LEED points will follow!

Chalkboard Wall

Study/Play Nook

Viewing Window for Energy Readouts

1. Laminated glass sunshades on south elevation angled to suit the path of the sun2. Horizontal louvers in front of broad expanses of south facing glass3. Prairie grass green roof is a teaching tool and relates to the prairie grass in the

landscape 4. Angled eaves block high summer sun and allow low winter light deep into the

school via clerestory windows

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3 2 1

3

Building as 3D Textbook

Elevation and View of Learning Commons1.Living wall2.Pine beetle kill glulam columns and top chord of trusses3.Exposed structure (concrete acts as a thermal mass) 4. Flooring, theme, represent Saskatchewan geography and geology

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2

3

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School Identity & Community Connection• School ‘Theme’ selected in collaboration with the students and

school community – providing identity and sense of community• Tied in with partnership with the City of Regina and their Landscape

Architect to design with shared site.

Personal Learning Community Identity PLC-3 Taiga

PLC-1 Boreal Forest PLC-2 Woodlands

PLC-3 Grasslands

School Identity & Community Connection Students were actively

involved in the process and were asked what Arcola meant to them. Their words were combined with into a Wordle and are engraved into the panels at the front entrance of the school.

ARCOLA COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Virtual Interior Tour

www.p3arch.com

Project Team:James Youck, Partner In ChargePat Kelly, Project ArchitectRob Beug, Sustainable Design CoordinatorVanessa Keilback, Design ArchitectSarah Turnbull, Interior DesignSherry Hastings, Lead Architectural TechnologistAshley Bull, TechnologistWade Klassen, TechnologistBrian Jacobs, Technologist