Building Pedagogy: The Susan O’Dell Taylor School
Pittstown, NY
2nd and 4th Year Design Studios
Critics: David Reibe, Frances Bronet, David Bell, Mark Mistur
Media: Microstation, Photoshop, Illustrator, Physical Models
AIA Eastern New York Chapter 2003 Design Awards, Citation Award
Jury Comments:
“A sculpturally interesting composition with sensitivity to scale, movement, as well as its environment. We hope this gets built. It is a comfortable integration of sustainability and design. ”
Concept:
Designed for an alternative-education private school, the Taylor School design enhances the interactive learning style of the school and compliments its goal to create well rounded students by creating learning environments which are integral with the natural landscape, through a fluid series of terraces and ramps built into the existing hill.
A resource ribbon acts as the communal library and runs the length of the school, creating an interactive location for learning. Classrooms benefit from natural light, exposed building structure and a hallway party wall which transitions from opaque, to transparent with materials including slate, alabaster, coloured glass and transparent glass. This allows a high volume of indirect light to move through the space, without creating a distracting environment where students can see into the hallway. Their learning environments are controlled, without loosing their connection to the world beyond. The exposed structure and building systems make the building itself an educational tool, rather than just a space for educating.
Recent Comments