Stitched to the site by pedestrian path, bike and automobile access, the elementary, middle and high schools are joined along the southern edge of the site, offering protection from the elements while presenting a common faccedil;ade for the academic community.
Joined by circulation and site economy, each school has a separate and distinct entry, dedicated “drop-off” areas, staff and visitor parking, and in the case of the High School, a student parking area.
Each drop off area is located in a unique courtyard, specifically linked to each school. Classrooms, outdoor and indoor recreational spaces, administrative offices and school facilities all open onto these courtyards, which, while protected from the elements, can be easily supervised and provide a local sense of community for each.
The building and outdoor recreational areas terrace down the site toward the West, linking all program elements together and to the important ground, the Preserve, at the North side of the site. The Preserve organizes the overall site and establishes its ecology. It is an educational, recreational and natural system integrally tied to the project146;s form and operation. By accommodating their arrangement and relationships to the existing topography, each buildings form is shaped by site. The natural slope of the land encourages universal access throughout the building. By maximizing day lighting, encouraging cross-ventilation and using local materials, building systems and materials follow the direction established by site and context.
Our proposal suggests a precedent for future institutions, one that fosters communality through the understanding of context in both the social and built environments.