The master plan for the new campus includes the construction of four new classroom buildings. As the campus develops, the spaces in between buildings allows for more infill. There are a series of pods that can be plugged in to provide additional programmatic elements shared between classroom buildings. The connector pods can be used as art studios, science labs, small libraries, or staging areas for outdoor plays and performances.
Creating a sense of connectivity and unification is imperative to the function of the campus and the mission of the school. The goal is to create connections between grades even though the classrooms are separate. Spaces of encounter are explored between each of the individual indoor and outdoor classrooms. There is a bridge element that connects all the classroom146;s loft spaces. This bridge is important because as it is a physical manifestation of connectivity between students.
Students enter through an entry vestibule used as locker space, which will help to control heat loss during the cold and snowy winter months. The open flex learning space is flanked by strawbale walls that serve as a backdrop for computer stations, storage, library, and collapsible and foldable partitions. Opposite, there is pin-up and projector screen space. A small science lab area is located at the north with tables that fold down to reveal glimpses into the mechanical room. The south side of the classroom has an attached greenhouse space and a thermal mass wall to aid in passive heating of the space. The greenhouse also serves as a threshold to the outdoor classroom. Water will be collected and stored beneath the greenhouse for irrigation of the outdoor classrooms and the greenhouse, as well as graywater for flushing toilets.
Although the valley receives up to 600148; of snow in the winter months, the children at the school are very drawn to the outdoors for learning and playing. Each outdoor classroom is specific to an indoor classroom allowing all grades to take ownership of their own outdoor area. Interactivity is encouraged by the presence of a series of movable and connectable wood panel modules. The panels can be easily moved and configured by the students, encouraging them to design and organize the exterior space themselves. Although barriers meander through the outdoor classrooms, these spaces overlap to express the idea of a shared community, cooperation, and tolerance.
The architecture serves to promote the mission and philosophy of the school. The school shall educate the whole child by inspiring creative expression, social responsibility and academic challenge. This state of the art learning facility will also encapsulate the aspirations of the town of Victor. For its inhabitants the design disappears as its lessons emerge, creating spaces for opportunity and reflection. The classroom and the campus become part of the curriculum, as the design obscures lines of ownership and promotes a relationship to the natural world. Ultimately, teachers are inspired by the natural connectivity to the environment. The classroom, campus, and curriculum become the foundation of an irreplaceable education.
Teton Valley Community School
