Farquhar Middle School Olney, Maryland Institutional Architecture
Farquhar Middle School Olney, Maryland Institutional Architecture
ENTRY BRIDGE AT DUSK
The new 800 student Farquhar Middle School will incorporate new strategies for formal and informal learning spaces as well as innovation in sustainable building design, both within the building and throughout the landscape. The result is a building that not only enhances learning but is a physical tool for learning. The community describes the local context as rustic and rural. The school was sited away from the street and lower in elevation. Program components were composed as small discreet buildings facing the street in keeping with the contextual scale. The sloped metal roofs on these street-faced buildings are sloped metal to blend in with the vernacular. The v over a swale preserving the natural grade. Fenestration includes manufactured stone building base and cement-fiber rain screen recalling the horizontal lines of board and batten siding. Six distinct colors of siding were randomly placed to give the material range and diminish the monolithic scale. Large glazed openings maximizing daylight for learning, was patterned with mullions to further achieve a human scale. The natural grade was preserved to every extent possible creating rain gardens and bio-retention basins. The natural setting, the most prominent asset of the site, was leveraged with large windows offering students views to nature from every learning space. SITE AERIAL - LOOKING WESTWARD
LEARNING COURTYARD - VIEW FROM MAIN ENTRY
ELEVATIONS - LOOKING NORTH AND EAST
NEW FARQUHAR MIDDLE SCHOOL
EXISTING MIDDLE SCHOOL TO BECOME PARK LAND
SITE PLAN
Each grade is clustered on individual floors in the classroom wing, where lockers are pulled off the classroom wall allowing daylight into the center commons. The commons allows space for classes to gather outside the formal classroom for inquiry and discovery.
EXPLODED AXON
INFORMAL LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM •
Moveable furniture for students to customize and own their study space promoting taking responsibility for their own learning
•
White boards floor to ceiling for students to make public their knowledge and encourage peer critical thinking skills
•
Transparency from the classroom brings daylight which enhances learning, promotes learning on display, enhances security by putting instructor eyes on the “street” and research shows view beyond the classroom enhances student stress reduction.
•
Wall mounted monitor and universal wireless data promote use of student-owned devices and digital collaboration.
Broad variety of learning spaces for quiet and collaborative, group and individual, informal and formal learning. LEARNING COMMONS
LEARNING COMMONS
The large and unobstructed volume allows students prospect to be aware of movement, time of day and be a part of the contagious buzz of learning.
MAIN ENTRY AT DUSK
ENTRY BRIDGE AT DUSK
The new 800 student Farquhar Middle School will incorporate new strategies for formal and informal learning spaces as well as innovation in sustainable building design, both within the building and throughout the landscape. The result is a building that not only enhances learning but is a physical tool for learning. The community describes the local context as rustic and rural. The school was sited away from the street and lower in elevation. Program components were composed as small discreet buildings facing the street in keeping with the contextual scale. The sloped metal roofs on these street-faced buildings are sloped metal to blend in with the vernacular. The v over a swale preserving the natural grade. Fenestration includes manufactured stone building base and cement-fiber rain screen recalling the horizontal lines of board and batten siding. Six distinct colors of siding were randomly placed to give the material range and diminish the monolithic scale. Large glazed openings maximizing daylight for learning, was patterned with mullions to further achieve a human scale. The natural grade was preserved to every extent possible creating rain gardens and bio-retention basins. The natural setting, the most prominent asset of the site, was leveraged with large windows offering students views to nature from every learning space. SITE AERIAL - LOOKING WESTWARD
LEARNING COURTYARD - VIEW FROM MAIN ENTRY
ELEVATIONS - LOOKING NORTH AND EAST
NEW FARQUHAR MIDDLE SCHOOL
EXISTING MIDDLE SCHOOL TO BECOME PARK LAND
SITE PLAN
Each grade is clustered on individual floors in the classroom wing, where lockers are pulled off the classroom wall allowing daylight into the center commons. The commons allows space for classes to gather outside the formal classroom for inquiry and discovery.
EXPLODED AXON
INFORMAL LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM •
Moveable furniture for students to customize and own their study space promoting taking responsibility for their own learning
•
White boards floor to ceiling for students to make public their knowledge and encourage peer critical thinking skills
•
Transparency from the classroom brings daylight which enhances learning, promotes learning on display, enhances security by putting instructor eyes on the “street” and research shows view beyond the classroom enhances student stress reduction.
•
Wall mounted monitor and universal wireless data promote use of student-owned devices and digital collaboration.
Broad variety of learning spaces for quiet and collaborative, group and individual, informal and formal learning. LEARNING COMMONS
LEARNING COMMONS
The large and unobstructed volume allows students prospect to be aware of movement, time of day and be a part of the contagious buzz of learning.
MAIN ENTRY AT DUSK
