The studios can be used for large or small groups and one-on-one in- struction. They are flexible spaces that provide teachers an opportunity to be more collaborative in their teaching and they will be able to group students with similar interests, needs, and learning goals. Another benefit of these spaces is that it makes the best use of time during a day. Instead of students leaving their neighborhoods to see dif - ferent instructors, the instructors come to them in the neighborhoods. The center Hub area serves as a seating and learning area and has a variety of different chairs and tables for students including couches, beanbags, and pillows. Posner said that the center Hubs are his favorite aspect of the new school because he feels students should learn about collaboration. He said, “It’s not an innate behavior to work effectively with others in small or large groups. The school is designed to promote this col - laboration at the lower grades and really builds on this concept as they advance in grades." When training to become a doctor, he realized the importance of col - laboration. “Medicine is all about collaboration and life-long learning. I remember the first thing that my anatomy professor told us on our first day of medical school. He said, ‘Everything you get taught over the next 4 years is already outdated.’ This really hit home for me. Learning never ends, no matter the profession you choose. And didactic-style learning is not an efficient or even a realistic way to learn as an adult. Exposing our children to collaborative learning and learning through multiple platforms is, in effect, getting them ready to be adult learners." Sarah-Jane, agrees. She said she enjoys sitting in the collaboration spaces where the students do science experiments and read books. Each Learning Neighborhood is equipped with the latest educational tools and the students are embracing them. Fifth grader, Daisy said, “I like the new school’s technology. It is high tech, and it is easy to work with.” As you walk through the school there is an area you can’t help but notice - the Library. From the hallway, students can peer down through windows into this high-ceilinged room that is fully stocked with books and well-lit from its large windows. Fifth grader, Alyssa thinks this is the best part of the new school. She said, “It is a very quiet and a calm place to read and concentrate.” Throughout the entire school there are interior soundproof windows, water bottle filling stations and partition walls that open and close like accordions, allowing the teachers to expand or limit the areas where they give their lessons. The school not only teaches STEAM but applies it to save the school energy. Throughout the school, there are LED light fixtures (Light-emitting diode). These lights have sensors that turn off or dim the lights depend- ing on the amount of natural light entering the large windows and if there are people occupying the room.
The fully stocked library with tall ceilings and large windows. Photo: JoAnne Castagna, Public Affairs.
However, natural light from the large windows is being used to the fullest. Light wells are also throughout the school to let in natural light. Besides sufficient light, adequate heat is also important, especially in this region. To efficiently regulate the room temperature, a special pump system is being used. Instead of having one big boiler for the entire school, the building will have three smaller ones. If heat is needed, one of the boilers will run up to 30-40 percent of its capacity. If additional heat is needed, the second one turns on and so on. They will ramp up or down depending on the need. “Smaller boilers work more efficiently when they don’t run at their full capacity and they last longer,” said Pillsworth. The boilers are part of a radiant heating system. Radiant heating sys - tems supply heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling of a structure. In the school, heated water circulates through plastic tubing within the floors. Pillsworth said, “When students sit on the floors in the wintertime, the floor is warm.” During the warmer months, the students have air conditioning – some - thing they never had before – provided by an efficient central chiller plant. Some of the building’s energy is generated from solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof of the building. Outside there are playgrounds for the different age groups, an outdoor patio for art classes and an amphitheater for instruction, gatherings, and performances. Sarah-Jane said, “We really like the playground and all of the space. We couldn’t eat in the cafeteria last year, but we could eat outside that is so big.” Daisy agreed, “The playground is fun to play on after all of the classes.”
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November 2021 csengineermag.com
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