Student Centered Learning - Implications for Design

In Oklahoma these days much is being discussed about the "Common Core" and its impact on students, teachers, parents and the community. Much of that discussion is beyond the scope of this blog; however everyone agrees that teaching and learning must be student centered and focused on preparing students for success.

But what does a "student centered" school look like and how are those facilities different than schools that used industrial age planning and design principals?

Design Characteristics of a Student Centered Model:

• Students have a home base or workstation to call home. This may be a work station, or similar private area for quiet thought and personal work.
• Classrooms are more limited and specialized with more learning and mentoring happening outside the classroom in collaborative group and/or flexible team areas. 
• "Learning Commons" include areas that were traditionally dedicated as circulation only. Corridors become functional, flexible, open areas with soft seating, tables, sofas and  wireless collaboration and productivity tools for team and individual learning. 
• Teachers are not isolated from each other in classrooms but share central work areas with dedicated work stations, conference areas and tools for collaboration, sharing of best practice techniques and accountability. By removing barriers for student and teachers shared goals, expectations and creative problem solving can be reached.  
• Flexible "lab" areas for Project Based learning. Areas contain varying work areas with resources for a wide variety of projects, construction, exploration,  brainstorming, presentations, etc. 
• The traditional media center space is redistributed across the facility in more dynamic ways to encourage the use of portable laptops, smart phones and interactive displays. 
• All areas are designed to include the latest advancements in efficiency and resourcefulness including natural lighting, insulation, ventilation, building security and maintenance.  
• Spaces are designed to encourage exploration, research, interaction, creativity and connections to others and the world.   

School districts around the country are increasingly turning to 21st century practices to better prepare students for their futures and to accommodate the realities of school funding and high expectations of the community. Student expectations are also changing due to the rapid advancement of information and communications over the Internet and the portability of access. A Student-Centered model may hold great potential to transform school environments for the future.
                                                                                                                                              
Darrell McAllister, AIA is the founding Principal of McAllister and Associates Architects. For more information he can be reached at darrell@mcallister-arch.com. 

Optimizing or Innovating? Re-thinking the Role of Schools in our Community

To help us answer that question I looked back at my 25 year career in architecture and evaluated school facilities from the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's. In each decade most of those schools had unique features that were improvements from the decade before.
1980's - Education was in a time of reflection and economic decline. Little national investment was made in schools and what was made often was in the form of renovations or remodels. Much of the experimentation of the 1950's thru 1970's had stopped. Schools were conservative, simple, efficient, traditional and local governments had to supplement national energy conservation programs to keep those initiatives moving. For our firm it was an era of common areas, pods of classrooms, team teaching and all design decisions related to durability and low cost.
1990's  thru 2000's - During this period the idea of green-building became more prevalent. LEEDS standards were adopted in 1998 and became prevalent through the 2000's to be the most influential movement to shape school design. High performance buildings promote the responsible use of natural resources while providing a healthy indoor environment.
While these changes and improvements in schools have yielded largely positive results, they tend to focus on a fairly narrow set of challenges that are the "building" systems. Designing and building a better container for teaching and learning.  In tomorrows context larger questions that we are asking are:

1.) What is a school?

2.) Can schools better reflect and connect to our communities to improve student mastery, purpose and autonomy?

3.) What are the common "Connection Points" for purposeful learning? 

a. Family

b. Social Purpose

c. Work

d. Politics

e. Arts

f. Recreation

g. Health

h. Worship

4.) How can technology add value and enhance those connection points? 

Old Learning Model

New Learning Model

In today's information age people are in control. Big business models are expiring and new more contextual and personal models are evolving that put people in control of their own destiny. Education must create something new to remain valuable in students lives. New analytical tools combined with the evaluation and recognition of social, political, technological and personal opportunities will yield new and innovative results.

Have school facilities improved in the past century? In some ways, they certainly have. But in other ways, especially in the craft and science of natural lighting and conditioning, we may have simply circled back to where we started. These patterns are largely reflections of the greater societal and technological trends of the 20th and early 21st century, but they have also represented the sincere dedication of education leaders to improve the quality of learning environments for children in America. It is our mission and desire to see continued questioning, evaluation of new contexts, multiple iterations of innovation and subsequent integration of new techniques and solutions that improve student outcomes.
                                                                                                                                              
Darrell L. McAllister, A.I.A. is the Founding Principal of McAllister and Associates Architects. 

Planning Guidelines for Safe Room Design

How Much Room Do We Need?

Many factors influence the size and capacity of safe rooms or areas within a school. FEMA 391 standards  recommend a minimum S.F. per person. Our recommendation is 7 to 10 S.F. per person. If the school has a actual occupancy of 720 students and 76 teachers / administrators then the total design occupancy would be 796 occupants. This yields a total area of need for safe rooms of 5572 S.F.  or roughly 7 classroom size areas. These areas are often found as pods of 4 classrooms or paired classrooms with other areas near offices and support spaces for smaller groups.  

The table below outlines the area needed for safe rooms in various size schools: 

           Occupants                Area / S.F.             Total Area            Equivalent Classrooms

              400                             10                     4000 S.F.                     5.3

              500                             10                     5000 S.F.                     6.6

              600                             10                     6000 S.F.                     8.0

              700                             10                     7000 S.F.                     9.3

              800                             10                     8000 S.F.                   10.6

            1200                             10                   12000 S.F.                   16.0

The number of classrooms calculated uses 750 S.F. as a standard size classroom. 

Additionally, consideration should be given to accessibility needs by some students, locating portions of the total required area throughout the school to reduce time to get to the shelter and reduce the number of occupants in each area.  Areas with more than 50 occupants are required to have a restroom to meet FEMA  361 standards. 

How long will it take ? 

The FEMA grant funding process can be lengthy and take up to 18-24 months. That assumes your district gets funding. Some districts elect to meet the FEMA 361 standards and others chose to construct hardened buildings or areas that meet a majority of the design criteria, but cannot be called a “safe room”.  These "safe rooms" can be built more economically and in less time. 

The number of options you have relate to many factors including existing building, new construction, renovation, hardened or FEMA standard, budget and funding sources and several others. We will work with your leadership team to help simplify the process. We can evaluate your unique situation, propose options and help you and your community find the best solution for your school and your community.  

Accuweather.com

Tornado Safety and Facility Design Options

After driving away from the storms of May 20th and 31st ( we don't have a storm shelter) I have been ask by many friends and family  - Can we build tornado safe schools in Oklahoma?  The answer is yes. There are many ways to construct a school to withstand the forces of a large tornado. There are also many challenges including costs, how to retrofit existing schools, disruption of existing school operations, temporary facilities during construction, site restraints, political pressures and more. 

Since the primary source of funding for public schools is tax dollars, school leaders are obligated and responsible for careful prioritization and use of those funds. The following information is presented to help school leaders, citizens and parents understand the variety of issues and options that may be available to them as they plan for storm safety in their district.  

New School Options

A new school designed to be storm safe may cost $400.00 per S.F. for a poured in place or tilt-up concrete structure with impact resistant glass and all necessary lift and lateral load construction details to withstand up to 300 mph winds. The average size elementary school of 50,000 - 70,000 S.F. could cost  between $20,000,000 and $28,000,000.  Compare that to a elementary school with standard steel and masonry construction and able to withstand 90-120 mph winds and the cost for the same school of $175.00 per S.F.  or  $8,750,000 to $12,250,000.  A increase of $11,250,000 to $15,750,000.  Most would not consider that a viable option. In the same new elementary school, storm safe areas of 7 to 10 S.F. per student or 5000 S.F. may add from $500,000 to $800,000 to the initial costs of construction.  The use of storm safe areas in new schools that also serve as computer rooms, music rooms, storage rooms and corridors are the most common approach for new school construction in Oklahoma.   

Concrete Storm Shelter in Classroom of New Construction

Existing School Options 

a.) Many older schools have structural systems of concrete block, steel and / or brick. 

The challenge is to brace these for the wind loads and impact resistance that often come with large tornados.

It can be done to varying levels of performance with improved roof deck and edge lift resistance, additional diagonal steel bracing, foundation connection improvements, window glass replacement and many other items. The work may require extensive removal of interior and exterior walls, windows, floors and associated mechanical and electrical systems. These elements would typically be upgraded and/or replaced. It may also take several months which could affect school operations and seasonal need.      

b.) New safe rooms adjacent to existing school facilities are another alternative. These can range from small reinforced concrete units to large multi-purpose buildings capable of housing all students and staff. Each school site may have area, access and adjacency limitations that could affect this option. 

Modular Concrete Units on School Site

Evaluation-

The key to improving storm safety starts with thorough evaluation of each school. Working closely with local school administrators; architects and structural engineers can review the storm safety plan, evaluate existing spaces, structural systems and other elements to determine the relative safety of the existing building. The team can then recommend various degrees of improvement strategies appropriate to the specific sites and help the district establish budget requirements and prioritize a improvement plan.

The value of a child's life is immeasurable and it's tragic that many children lost their lives on May 20, 2013. It our responsibility as community leaders to balance many competing influences and do the  things that protect our children, families and loved ones in the future.  

Photos Credits: Regency Steel Inc., thetennessean.com 




    

Safe and Unsafe Buildings in the Moore Tornado

A massive F4/5 tornado struck very near many of our friends and families homes and places of business. We are praying for the emergency response teams and all affected by the devastating storm.  Although buildings can be rebuilt peoples lives are changed forever. There are however reasons some buildings are safer than others in tornadoes and some knowledge of building structures may help save lives. 

Storm Shelter Design in Oklahoma Schools - What happened?

Storm safe shelters built above ground designed to FEMA standards can greatly increase chances of survival. Many Oklahoma schools designed in the last 20 years have storm safe areas that are designed to FEMA standards. These safe areas are constructed  in pods on the interior of a school and able to contain all of the occupants of the school. They are typically designed with steel reinforced poured-in-place concrete walls, reinforced concrete roof and impact resistant metal doors and frames with pressure resistant closing and locking mechanisms.

Many districts have not included storm safe areas in their new schools due to the additional cost or not being able to obtain federal funding thru FEMA.  Many of Moore, Oklahoma's newer schools have storm safe areas. The schools hit by the tornado were older schools that were constructed of brick and concrete block veneer with steel frames. The tornado that hit these schools pulled the metal roof members and deck away from the block walls that used the roof as support. The unsupported lateral stability of these block walls were subjected to 200 mph winds that pushed them into the corridors and classrooms or were knocked over by large steel roof deck panels, beams and other debris. In these type structures with the brittle nature of concrete block and the ductile nature of steel the corridors were not safe.

Why did the Warren Theatre sustain relatively little damage? 

In contrast, the Warren Theatre that was within 200 yards of the direct path of the tornado only sustained cosmetic and light glass and frame damage. The Warren Theatre structural frame and exterior walls are constructed of monolithic, 8" thick, reinforced concrete panels that were facing the direct path of the tornado.  The steel reinforced concrete wall panels withstood large debris forces and winds upward of 200 mph. This system is very good at resisting the lateral forces of debris and wind while the concrete parapets protect the roof edges from the extreme lifting pressures that occur during a tornado. The waterproofing membrane on the theatre roof was sucked off in some areas and no doubt leaks occurred, but relatively little damage compared to other steel and wood frame buildings in the same area.

Rigid Frame Metal Building Systems - Why the adjacent bowling alley was leveled? 

Just across the parking lot from the Warren Theatre not more than 200 yards once stood a large bowling alley. It was constructed of a metal building systems frame, metal wall panels and metal roof deck.  It was engineered like thousands of metal buildings across the nation. The problem with these structures are many including shear resistance, torsion resistance, lateral stability, designed for up to 90 mph winds only. The roof deck on these structures is held on with steel screws that aren't effective at resisting tension and can pull out quickly becoming flying debris and opening the rest of the building to a twisting effect that tears the steel frame apart and throws it up into the tornado.

My hope is that families, community leaders and private businesses will take the time to understand the value of different structural systems and their relative safety. They can then make informed decisions regarding the facilities first cost vs. occupant safety in the event of such a catastrophic event.

For residential safe room plans and additional information you can go to the FEMA web site by clicking on the following link: FEMA Safe Room Construction and Materials Lists.

Conditions for Learning - Can Architecture Support and Enhance These?

Over the last few years there has been much research and discussions about the most important elements found in schools that positively affect student performance.  Often called conditions of learning or C.O.L.  There may be others, but four of the most common are:

• the presence of clear behavioral expectations

• the generation of abundant opportunities to build skills through practice

• the provision of rewards and recognition for students meeting expectations

• the cultivation of positive relationships between teachers and students built on trust and esteem

Most would agree that there is a statistical correlation between the presence of these conditions and student success at end of term testing.  

One of the challenges in our Learning Environments Studio is to explore the influence and impact of these conditions on the physical environment.  Can we enhance, integrate and improve any or all of these conditions in the physical environment thru the use of technology, graphics, games, lessons, shapes, materials and concepts to improve student performance? We think it can and should be done.  Below are simple and cost effective examples of how these ideas may manifest themselves in a gym. Your thoughts? 

Length, Width, Distance, Movement, Addition concepts enhanced in gymnasium design 

Length, Width, Distance, Movement, Addition concepts enhanced in gymnasium design

6 Key Attributes of High Performing Learning Spaces

DESIGNING LEARNING SPACES THAT PERFORM
Over the last several years we have identified 6 key attributes that learning and teaching spaces need to deliver. Together these attributes form the corner stone of our Learning Environments Studio (L.E.S.). These attributes also remind us of our mission and help us stay focused on the future of teaching and learning.


1. MOTIVATING: Education is a forward motion. We must create spaces that encourage and propel minds and deliver a sense of optimism. Every room should have features that work to elevate and accelerate the spirit of teaching, learning and discovery.

2. FLEXIBLE:  Rigidity is an opponent of enlightenment and discovery. The physical spaces need to account for dynamic teaching and learning styles. Fixed and unmovable elements should be minimized, keeping spaces flexible for now and how we want to use them today and even more flexible because we don’t know how they will be used in the future. 

3. COLLABORATIVE:  Shared inspiration is what fuels healthy group environments. We will design spaces that enable all parties to easily connect, communicate and collaborate with each other.  

4. REFLECTIVE: Reflection is the silent narrative of an engaged mind. All participants in the teaching and learning experience should be provided with spaces that facilitate “thinking” time. There needs to be spaces that are free of distractions, places where participants can unplug and simply delve into the wonder of thought. 

5. COMMUNITY CENTRIC: This isn’t a prison or monastery. As part of our mission, we  invite and connect the extended community to share the opportunities of education. To become more aware of each persons value and place in the world.  Open doors that open doors.  

6. PERFORMANCE FOCUSED: Just like “achieve” and “work”, “learn” is a verb. We must create spaces that help educators and students realize their true potential and perform at the highest level.  Beyond creating a building where teaching and learning merely happen, we must focus on integrating curriculum, technology and sustainable design elements to create a building and all of it’s features as “built-in” learning tools.  

Personal Learning Module Concept

Moore Norman Technology Center
Business Training Center Commons

School Culture Change - Influences and the Future

How does the rapid development of digital learning tools, digital content and digital culture influence the way teachers teach,  children learn and schools change? 

That's the fundamental question that I am committed to helping answer thru this series of blog posts and your feedback. School and community leaders, teachers, parents and children will benefit from a open discussion. We will review the financial implications, past solutions and evaluate current  influences. Then we will explore new ideas in design and planning from all over the world.

The research and statistics (primarily about Oklahoma) will attempt to frame the cultural, financial and organizational issues facing our PK-12 educational system today. We are interested in hearing from educators, architects and anyone that has insight and ideas about how learning environments may change to better engage students, be more flexible, more efficient and improve student outcomes.

The financial pressure, digital and cultural influences on our current system have never been greater. The opportunities for new PK-5, 6-8 and High School planning models are exciting. As creative leaders,  architects are in a good position to team with local school officials and community leaders to establish a clear vision and lay the foundation for our children's futures.

I would like to invite all people interested in this important question to share and comment. There are never enough ideas to benefit our children's future.

Counting the Costs

Districts Information: 

School Districts in Oklahoma -                          539                      
District Education Expenditures 2012/13           $2,200,000,000 (billion)
Number of Students -                                       666,150
Avg. expenditure per student-                           $7,878.76
Enrollment Growth 2010-2011                         .009% (less than 1%)
Oklahoma Education Spending Rank -              44th

Facilities Construction Spending : (Nationwide)

Median Cost per S.F. -                               Elementary:    $181.00/S.F.

                                                                   Middle:          $195.31/S.F.

                                                                   High School:  $219.18/S.F.

Median Square Feet per Student -                Elementary:     129 S.F.

                                                                    Middle:           138 S.F.

                                                                    High School:   165 S.F.

Oklahoma's facilities costs average 10-15% less than national averages. 

February 2013 Oklahoma School Facilities Bond Projects 

Total Facilities Bond Requests -                   $302,465,000 (million)
Requesting Districts:                                     13
Requesting Districts Enrollment:                    57,590
Spending Request per Student:                     $5,252


 At the time of this writing it is not know which districts will receive a 60% majority approval and pass the bond propositions. Bond figures are from the Oklahoman at http://newsok.com/oklahoma-voters-to-make-school-board-bond-issue-decisions-today/article/3754434. District Information is from statistics published from the U.S. Department of Education and posted at www.teachade.com. Facilities construction statistics are from the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.

                       

Patient Customized Personalized Experience: The Hospital Room of the Future

Hospital and healthcare design is quickly changing. As exciting new technologies come out daily, architects, doctors, and healthcare administrators are presented with an opportunity to improve patient experiences through incorporating the latest technological advances into facility design. By incorporating these new technologies, healthcare design can help patients feel more comfortable and relaxed, and thus improve recovery time.

Allowing patients to customize their own hospital environment can come in a variety of ways not necessarily requiring an entirely new facility. One thing patients often differ on is their lighting preferences. Some patients may be extremely sensitive to bright light and favor a dimmer, softer lighting while others may prefer lighting that more closely simulates a bright, natural sunlight. The range of patient lighting preference can easily be accommodated by an architect who properly understand the facilitation of differing patient lighting preferences. An architect who understand this can design a room in which patients' beds are located in a position that allows them access to a full range of light dimmers and various lighting options.

Lighting is only one way in which patients often have differing preferences. Providing patients with a way in which they can control the temperature of their room would allow more patients to experience maximum comfort. Like lighting, temperature controls could be strategically placed within reach of patients.

One area that is especially promising for patient room customization is the use of voice control. Imagine a hospital room in which the patient can control everything with only their voice. They can change the channel on the T.V., lower the temperature in the room, and call their loved ones with only the use of their voice. Advances in voice recognition technology have allowed such a hospital room to be taken from our imaginations to reality. Patient experience has never been better and will only continue to improve as designers and healthcare administrators continue to collaborate on designing better facilities that allow for maximum care room customization.

Is It Expensive to Transform Schools into Learning Tools?

A school designed to be an interactive learning tool sounds like it would cost much more than the generic traditional school. This doesn't have to be the case. Every school building has the potential to be a powerful learning tool. Transforming a standard learning environment into a dynamic teaching tool can be as simple as a bit of paint marking the length and height of walls.

Replacing a standard ceiling tile with a piece of transparent plastic is another way to create a learning opportunity. There are numerous potential lessons above our heads. A teacher could design a lesson around the insulation or heating and air conditioning that would be visible were a ceiling tile to be made transparent.

In the cafeteria area, simple design tweaks could create an opportunity to teach the students about safe food preparation and proper nutrition. When an architect sees the design of a school as a potential teaching tool, the possibilities become endless.

Personal Learning Environments - Fiction or Future?

Personal Learning Module

Personal Learning Module - Can existing schools adapt to become laboratories for personal learning? 

With the increasing availability of portable lessons and educational opportunities outside the classroom, one of the challenges that communities face is how to transform traditional schools into exciting personal learning laboratories.

The study module picture was designed for middle and high school students and can be located in what was once a traditional media center. The media center can be transformed into a interactive, collaborative space that has the opportunity for various levels of engagement with students and teachers, from large groups to individual "pods" that can be customized to each students emotions (color changing LED) , learning styles and interests.

The Learning Environments Studio (LES) at McAllister & Associates Architecture is committed to exploring new solutions for schools to be transformed into dynamic learning labs for tomorrows students.

Incorporating Residential Design Elements Into Heathcare Facilities

An increasing amount of evidence is being released to support the theory that patients heal faster in environments in which they feel most comfortable. One of the best ways to promote comfort in a heathcare facility among patients, family, and staff is to design an environment that feels natural to everyone involved. People tend to feel most natural and comfortable in their homes, thus an extremely effective way to make a facility feel most natural is to incorporate residential design elements.

Informal lounges and café areas strategically sprinkled throughout a facility can help break up the monotony of a typical hospital layout. These casual areas give visitors a place to relax to check their emails or make a call. Oftentimes, family members and friends of a patient will stay several days with the patient, and these areas can help give a much needed psychological release.

Improvements in building material technology for healthcare application have expanded architects' horizons in choosing materials. Textures and materials that were once not suitable for healthcare use because they didn't meet the strict sanitation requirement have now been optimized for utilization in heathcare facilities. In most cases, not only have these materials been made available for healthcare use, but they provide a net improvement in sanitation and infection control when compared to the outdated materials.

Use of color and light are also two major factors when implementing residential design elements into healthcare facilities. A typical hospital has dull, monotonous lighting which can promote feelings of fear and/or discomfort. This problem can be easily fixed by combining more natural light sources with non-florescent, direct, and indirect task lighting to create ideal lighting conditions. Color choices that provoke feelings of comfort can be chosen to further improve the patient experience. Use of wood grains with a combination of warm and cool colors will help patients feel most at home.

One of the best parts of incorporating residential design elements into healthcare design is that does not require building a brand new facility. Residential design can be incorporated into an existing facility through a simple redesign, thus saving money and time.

Schools As Learning Tools

The world we live in is full of  educational opportunities. School facilities have the potential to be potent learning tools when designed properly. Most architects choose to follow the traditional school design prescription, failing to utilize the possible math and science lessons inherent in building construction.

For example, how many students know the dimensions of their classroom? A standard classroom wall can be turned into an informative learning tool when the room is designed to include markers indicating the measurement of the wall. One classroom wall could be measured in feet while the opposite wall could be marked in meters to teach the students the difference between the English and metric systems of measurement. A teacher could design a lesson based on the measurements in which the students find the area of the room using the measurements on the walls.

Another example of potential teaching opportunities in school design is the presentation of the electrical system. What if portions of a school's electrical system were left visible by being encased in glass? This could be a springboard for learning not only about watts and amps, but also how the school is connected to the cities electrical grid.

Schools are full of learning opportunities when the architect chooses to view the school building as having the potential to function as an interactive museum in addition to its normal functions. At McAllister and Associates we strive to design every school to be a teaching aid to the teachers.