EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
We find that designing schools is very rewarding, both professionally and personally. Many of us have children or are married to educators. Education is something that is very important to our staff, and we are all very committed to doing our part in helping students flourish in the spaces we design. Here are a few ways that we help in the planning and design of educational environments.
PROGRAMMING & SCHEMATIC DESIGN
We utilize a tried and true methodology of collaborative design strategies to move from Vision to Solution. Our collaborative design process seeks full involvement and interaction of key project stakeholders. The direct involvement of our clients in the design process provides essential insights and contributes to the development of a shared solution that responds to the vision of our clients and their stakeholders.
VISIONING
We facilitate stakeholder visioning sessions at which we meet with District departments and consultants including M&O, Construction Services, Planning, Food Service, IT, Ed Services, school site staff and end-users to review program needs and facility needs. We will translate our clients’ visions to paper.
ASSESSMENT
Concurrent with the visioning process, we review each district’s site Master Plans and Educational Specifications. We also begin collecting the site data including site history, climate data, traffic patterns in around the school and assess if facilities meet academic and technology needs. Lastly, we review roofs, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems. We schedule interviews with the principals, custodial staff, administrative staff to further any on site issues.
”Our on-going involvement in educational planning & research, allows us to interpret your long terms needs into innovative solutions that recognize and implement the newest concepts in learning and teaching strategies.
Richard Nowicki, AIAPartner
COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION
We believe our highest value is to help our clients make good decisions. Therefore it is our mission to bring ideas and alternatives that are appropriate and relevant to your operational and educational needs. Through our commitment to collaborative planning, the facility solutions we develop will be formed with your direct involvement.
The best examples we can give of our on-going commitment to advancing the state of educational planning is in our work. Whether it be the paradigm shifts in the pedagogy of the Design 39 Campus, or the Career and Technical focus of the Del Lago Academy, or the most recent blending of these concepts envisioned in the New High School #4 for the Perris Union HSD, we believe that the entire campus is a learning space. The configuration, layout and Architecture must all work together to foster student engagements that allow for critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity.
Our firm is dedicated to innovative designs for educational facilities based on conceptual approaches that integrate context, form and experience. We see each project as a synergy of the ideal and the circumstantial. A proper design solution must always respond to the special needs of each individual client and circumstance. Our ability to identify unique solutions to complex project challenges has led to many innovative concepts to address programmatic needs, solve challenging project delivery issues, and to meet tough budget limitations.
Although, campus specific program and planning strategies can vary in response to the individual needs, Program-Driven Planning include some fundamental design strategies that are ever present:
- Student-Centered Planning
- Collaboration and Transparency
- Flexibility and Adaptability
- Academic Program Integration
- Career Technology Pathways
- STEM & STEAM Integration
- Project-Based Inquiry & Application
- Student Safety & Campus Security
