projects
Blacksburg Montessori School
spring 2005 (school design project)
A 1000 square foot single classroom was designed specifically for the 9 to 12 year age group. The building is one of four separate classrooms providing additional teaching space for the overcrowded Blacksburg Montessori School. Two amphitheaters face a full height slate chalkboard wall on each side -- on the exterior facade it is used for individual exploratory learning, and on the interior it acts as the primary group teaching surface.
The programmatic use of space is defined by scale, following the slope of the roof (ie: intimate spaces are designated for individual learning in the back of the building, while lecture-style learning is designated at the front where the roof reaches its apex). The plan is open, as opposed to a matrix of desks, and the niches created along the perimeter provide opportunities for students to study privately at different paces.
For the final project submittal, a 1"=1'-0" basswood section model was produced, accompanied by a 1/2" = 1'-0" graphite floor plan.
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