With a building of over 175 years old, Springfield PSD was looking for renovations to bring existing conditions back to its original state-of-the-art facility standards.
How do we transform an aging facility to house a modern, robust curriculum for future generations, while keeping its historic charm?
The reinvigoration of Springfield High demands a thoughtful blending of the school's rich history, embodied in its sturdy brick and limestone, with the agility of modern programs. This interweaving of tradition and progress forms the heart of our design. To achieve this, we've focused on four core principles:
- Restore Texture
- Connecting Community
- Opening views
- Crossing time
Understanding that early childhood students demand a different type of learning environment than their elementary school peers, the City of St. Charles School District established criteria for their new facility that was based on sensory learning, movement, imagination, and nature.
Faced with outdated and inflexible learning environments, unused spaces, chaotic drop off and pick up, and no central gathering area, doing nothing was not an option for the Jacksonville School District. Not only is the junior high experience a pivotal time in a child’s life, but of all the district facilities, the junior high was positioned to serve every student in the district.
The new 81,500 s.f. Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School will house K8 students with environments that revolve around student-focused learning. Flexible and collaborative work spaces will be incorporated to engage students to work in small groups.