Designing facilities

Designing Facilities for Montessori Schools

Page 387 © 2001 The Montessori Foundation

Montessori Classroom Design

By Tim Seldin

Classrooms should provide enoughfloor space to comfortably accommodatethe total number of children enrolledalong with the complete collection ofMontessori educational apparatus,tables and shelving, and related activityareas, such as art.

Number of Students in a Class:

The Montessori Foundationrecommends an ideal class size of 25 to30 students at the early childhood andelementary level,representing a three-year age range(traditionally ages 3 to 6,6 to 9, 9 to 12, etc.).Naturallycircumstances, such asroom size, localregulations, or thechallenges faced in theearly years when a newclass is beingestablished, may leadschools to set up classeswith a smaller groupsize.

Size of the Classroom Space: Westrongly recommend that schools allowa minimum of 35 square feet per studentenrolled, which complies with manyjurisdictions in the United States.

Ideally, the Foundation recommendsa ratio of 50 square feet per student atthe early childhood level, 75 square feetper student at the elementary level, and100 square feet per student at thesecondary level.

Charlotte Montessori School, Charlotte, North Carolina



We recognize and anticipate thatfew schools will be able to attain thisideal, with many factors coming intoconsideration, most especially localconditions and climate. For example,schools in crowded urban environmentsmay find it financially impractical tosecure larger facilities, and recognizethat their children and adults areaccustomed to smaller amounts ofpersonal space. In warmer climates,schools may be able to take excellentadvantage of shaded and semi-shadedoutdoor environments adjacent to eachclassroom. Ultimately the final test ishow well the children function withintheir environment.

The need for a self-contained

Environment: Classrooms at the

Primary and Elementary levels should

ideally include within each environment

an appropriately sized kitchen,

classroom library, science area/lab,

greenhouse, and art studio. A small

woodshop or hobby workshop is also

highly desirable.

For each class of 25 to 35 students,

we recommend the provision of a large

3 compartment sink for dish washing in

the kitchen, and within the classroom at

least two individual bathrooms to allow

privacy. Avoid multi-stall restrooms.

Traditionally Montessori classes are

designed to create an uncluttered and

beautiful homelike atmosphere. Spaces

with an institutional feel are avoided if

at all possible or their sterile look and

feel is softened by a conscious use of

design elements.



Access to the Outdoor

Environment: Ideally, each class should

have at least two walls facing the

outdoor environment, which again

ideally should be a natural setting of

gardens, forest, or fields. At least one

door should lead outside, allowing

children to freely go in and out to a

prepared outside environment.

The Children�s Garden: Ideally,

each classroom should have a small

garden and outdoor environment

enclosed by a picket fence or perhaps a

Mediterranean style garden wall. Again

ideally, the children should be able to go

outside as they wish to work in the

garden, observe nature, paint, or work

outside.

Windows: Montessori classrooms

should have an abundance of natural

light brought in through an abundance

of attractive windows that can be

opened to allow the air to flow. In

classes designed for younger children,

windows should be selected that reach

down to almost floor height or mounted

lower to the floor to allow small

children to see outside without

stretching.

Avoid Clutter and Traditional

School Posters and Displays The

Montessori class is not supposed to look

or feel like a classroom in the traditional

sense, but rather a comfortable and

inviting home. We do not teach group

Century House Montessori School, Tortola, British Virgin Islands



many lessons in the first place, so we

don�t need to use blackboards or

bulletin boards as decorative elements

on the walls.

A few more suggestions:

! Don�t try to add color to the room

with eye catching educational

posters.

! At all costs, don�t create a display of

twenty five identical art projects

! Avoid cartoon-like posters

! Never feel compelled to hang an

alphabet up along the wall

Instead select carefully chosen

highly quality art reproductions or

original art and hang them around the

room at the children�s eye level. Even

better, provide the children with mattes

and frames and allow them to select and

display individual pieces of their art or

work in an attractive manner. Create

attractive areas for displaying

individual sculptures or projects. Take a

fresh look at how art is displayed in a

fine gallery or art museum.

Lighting: Fluorescent lights can

create a harsh light. Soften the glare

with the light from your windows and

by introducing several attractive floor or

table lamps with shades. Just a little

incandescent light from some lamps can

go a long way to making your

classroom feel like a Children�s House.

Floors: Traditionally Montessori

Children�s Houses had wooden, tile, or

stone floors because that was the norm

in European and North American

buildings at the time. Today wall to wall

carpet is so pervasive, that we tend to

see a normal pattern of a space divided

between carpeted space and a practical

life and art area that is tiled. It is

important that at least the area where

the children work on their practical life

skills and art have a tile or other non-

carpeted floor to avoid damaging the

rug and to provide a hard surface as a

control of error (the little glass pitcher

should break, not bounce, if dropped).

Avoid bland institutional looking tile or

wall to wall carpet. Create the most

attractive and harmonious look and feel

that your budget and creativity allows.

Consider the possibility of wooden

floors or one of the new imitation

wooden flooring materials. The look is

just what most of us dream about

creating in our schools.

Toxic Substances: When selecting

any paint, carpeting, or flooring

material, take care to avoid introducing

something into your indoor

environment to which chemically

sensitive children and adults might

react. Some carpets and paints give off



chemicals that can be real, if not visible,

environmental pollutants.

Plants: Use as many large and small

plants in your environment as possible.

Large ferns, palms, and various

decorative but nontoxic plants help to

soften your environment, create a warm

cozy feeling, help keep your indoor air

healthy, and provide a host of practical

life activities.

Arrange for basic janitorial service to

every room on a daily basis: vacuuming,

tile areas cleaned, bathrooms.

Train your support staff to be

sensitive to the needs of a Montessori

program.

Throw out all of that junk from the

school and storage areas. Create order

out of what remains.

Don�t allow your outdoor

environment to look neglected. Keep

your buildings painted, equipment in

good repair, and grounds carefully

tended.

Find space somewhere for a faculty

lounge. Teachers and administrators

should take pride in keeping it neat and

clean.

Many school offices need cleaning,

junk removal, and fancy little touches to

make them comfortable for visitors and

the school staff.

It takes a great deal of money or

donated labor and materials to create

and maintain a first-rate Montessori

environment.

Schools should be aggressive in

getting parents to help fix things up:

parent work parties, special projects, etc.

Develop a written plan for educating

your parents to the need to help.



Creating a Modern Campus With a

Timeless Quality

by

Christopher Gallagher, Vice PresidentRampart Homes, Sarasota, Florida

The Field School, Washington, DC

�These principles are so much in sync with the Montessori principles. All of themembers of the community become active participants in an ongoing process.�

� Lorna McGrathAssistant Headmaster

New Gate School



What if it were possible to create aschool building or even an entirecampus that was as wonderful and asmemorable and as vibrantly alive as anyof the most traveled to, timelessdestinations of the world? And, what ifit were possible to do this in a way thatinvited the participation andinvolvement and tapped the creativepowers of the entire school community?

Empowered with the idea of thesepossibilities becoming reality, the NewGate School in Sarasota, Florida, hasembarked on a great experiment basedon the award-winning research ofarchitect Christopher Alexander and histeam of designers at the Center forEnvironmental Structure in Berkeley,California.

Countryside�s challenge is to set inmotion a process of repair, renovation,redesign, and new construction that:

▲ creates an ongoing, adaptableplan of action for a quicklyexpanding ten-year-old campus;

▲ upholds a high standard ofexemplary design excellence; and

▲ accomplishes all of this through amethod that is fundamentallyconsistent with the Montessoriphilosophy.

During the course of the past coupleof years, rapid growth has brought thesame problem to New Gate that hasoccurred at countless college campuses

since the 1960s. The founder�s simple,bucolic vision of a learning environmentgently intermingled with nature hasbeen slowly disintegrated by thedemands of an ever growingpopulation. In order to stem the tide,New Gate has created a vision and aprocess for guiding all future designand construction activity.

New Gate�s vision is of a lovinglycared for, nurturing campus with atimeless quality that is aesthetically,ecologically, and practically appropriatefor its subtropical Florida setting. Just asimportant, however, is the uniqueprocess that will deliver this vision.

The newly adopted planning processmandates that the users of any new orrenovated spaces shall be the designersof those spaces. The process assumesthat people have within themselves thepower, wisdom, and insight to createbeautiful spaces for themselves. Theplan further requires that a shared set ofpowerful design patters shall providethe framework for the expression ofindividual design ideas.

This exciting new process is modeledon a plan described in a book byChristopher Alexander called TheOregon Experiment. The unique characterof the plan is rooted in six�revolutionary� key principles.



1. The Principle of Organic Order

A cohesive whole campus developsgradually, the product of countlesssmall individual projects. This principlesuggests that the school grows like agiant oak. When we plant the tiny seed,we have a general idea of the characterof what the mature oak will look like.Along the way, an infinite variety offactors influence the shape anddimensions so that each oak is unique.The character, however, holds true tothe vision inherent in the seed.

2. The Principle of Participation

This principle states thefundamental concept that the users ofspaces shall be the designers of thosespaces. Nobody else knows better thesubtle, intricate issues so intuitivelyobvious to the user.

3. The Principle of Piecemeal Growth

Annual construction budgets shallbe weighted in favor of smaller projects.The idea here is that the communityconsciously and practically establishes apriority system that does not allow theold part of the campus to deterioratewhile each year�s construction budget isspent on new buildings.

4. The Principle of Patterns

The community shall adopt amutually agreed upon set of planningguidelines called patterns. The patterns

are very precise, very powerfuldescriptions of recurring spatialconfigurations. In a process whichfavors design by user, the possibilityexists that the resultant campus wouldbe a chaotic mix of individualexpression within the context of ashared vision.

Most of the work of creating anindividual pattern language for theschool is already complete. Alexander�ssecond book, A Pattern Language, is usedas a model. The community�s task is tofill in the patterns appropriate to itsparticular site and setting.

5. The Principle of Diagnosis

Typical master plans show a colorfulmap of what a campus will look likefive, ten, or twenty years in the future.This plan works very differently. TheDesign and Planning Committeeprepares, on an annual basis, a set ofconceptual drawings that outline whichspaces are alive and healthy andworking according to the �patternlanguage.�

On the same drawings, the Committeeindicates where repair is needed inorder to bring other spaces to life. Thediagnostic maps are used in conjunctionwith each new design proposal. Everyproposal must include a description ofhow it will work toward bringing theproposed spaces to life as described bythe pattern language. The idea is thatwith each increment of new



construction, no matter how small, thecommunity is always working its waytoward a comprehensive shared visionof wholeness.

6. The Principle of Coordination

The plan establishes a process bywhich the Design and PlanningCommittee shall guide the steady flowof ongoing projects, initiated by theusers, through the funding processtoward completion.

In the timeless, picturesque Europeanvillage, built over the course ofgenerations, a shared set of basicfundamental design images andconstruction practices created theframework that assured that each newproject built upon the past in a way thatworked toward completing the whole.During the course of the last 100 years,our shared set of design values andimages have evaporated. This is thereason we must create a new �patternlanguage.� And, to the extent that ourproposed �pattern language� is alive,whole, beautiful, and nurturing, so shallbe our built environment.

All of this work falls back on somefundamental concepts about the natureof men, women, and children. First isthe assumption that the creative processis alive and well and waiting to berevealed in every individual and thatthe same spirit that created the world�s

most memorable spaces resides withinus, capable of being called forth todesign our spaces today.

The second awareness is that humanbeings are affected by theirenvironment, that places that are alive,whole, and free will be settings in whichwe can feel alive, whole, and free.

The same glorious sense of life thatdraws us to walk along the crashingseashore or sit before a roaring fire is theforce that draws us to the medievalEuropean village or the scenic Greekisland town. We feel alive, whole, andconnected to the world around us inthese places. The goal of the New Gateplan is to recreate this same quality � tocreate a setting where our children canfeel alive, whole, and free.

➟➟➟➟➟

Christopher Gallagher, VicePresident of Rampart Homes inSarasota, Florida, is an architect andbuilder and the parent of two childrenat the New Gate School.

The last ten years of his practice haveincorporated and built upon theresearch and writing in ChristopherAlexander�s books, A Pattern Language,The Timeless Way of Building, The OregonExperiment, A New Theory of UrbanDesign, The Production of Homes, and DasLinz Cafe.



Simple Steps to Transform or Create

A Beautiful Campus

By Chris Gallagher

1. Keep your campus litter-free

2. Sweep your drives and walks

3. Add fresh paint. Caulk open joints

first

4. Clean windows and screens

5. Weed landscape beds and trim plants

6. Simplify, Unify and Beauty your

signage. And please make it polite

7. Add outdoor sculpture

8. Add fountains

9. Add a pond

10. Simplify and unify your exterior

building colors

11. Provide benches to sit on in

comfortable places. Use wood

benches

12. Stain untreated wood.

13. Add operable window shutters

14. Upgrade to small paned windows

15. Plant trees

16. Grow climbing plants

17. Grow potted plants in clay pots and

wooden boxes

18. Create enclosed gardens and grow

vegetables, flowers & herbs

19. Divide the campus into "outdoor

rooms"

20. Add gateways into each "outdoor

room"

21. Build simple paths where children

walk

22. Invite birds and butterflies

23. Add indoor plants and fill vases

with cut flowers

24. Take everything off the walls except

meaningful, beautiful, framed

pictures and paintings.

Chris Gallagher, Associate AIA is

available for minor school design

consulting projects and complete new

campus master planning.

You may reach him at

The Center for Beautiful Places

1715 Stickney Point Road, Sarasota,

Florida 34231 941-926-7518

mailto:[email protected]

If you would like a copy of his

newsletter, send a note to the address

above.



The Perfect Look For Your

Montessori Classroom Building

By Chris Gallagher

At some time in your involvement

with your Montessori school you may

be faced with the challenge of creating a

new classroom. You may even be

handed the opportunity to participate in

the making or the re-making of an entire

campus. There will be much to do and

hundreds of decisions to make. And,

somewhere during that process,

someone is going to ask the most

dreaded of all questions, �Well, what do

we want our school to look like�?

If the question is directed toward

you, you will most probably get a mixed

up, queasy feeling in your mid-section

as a parade of ever more perplexing

questions come marching to the front.



You think, �Oh no, how am I supposed

to know what it should look like? What

will your parents expect the school to

look like? And, what will be best for the

children? You wonder what Maria had

to say about the look of a school?

Let�s spend some time together

talking about what your Montessori

school should look like. I will assume

that, given that your buildings and

grounds make up a very significant part

of your prepared environment, and that

you have at this point witnessed the

absorptive nature of the young human

beings in your care, you will want your

buildings and grounds to be, well-

beautiful. What you want, is to create a

beautiful place.

Now, before going any further I

must share what I mean by a beautiful

place. We have no word in the English

language that means the same thing as

the phrase, beautiful place. What I mean

by a beautiful place is a place that

possesses qualities that serve to

enduringly comfort, delight, and

ennoble us. Comfort, delight, and

ennoble us�enduringly; that�s what a

beautiful place does.

The way that I would like to talk to

you about what a Montessori school

should look like is to share with you

what I have observed to be the simple

principles for creating beautiful places.

SEEK NOT PERFECTION

Sorry, I know I threw you off course

a little with the title, but there is no

single perfect design, style, or look for

your new school. It is no more

reasonable to expect that you can design

a perfect building then to expect that

you can lead a perfect life. My

suggestion is to search not for the

perfect design, but for the most

common, simple, vernacular solution.

Expect that your beautiful place may

even be a little awkward at times,

maybe even a little clumsy or funny.

Think of the most beautiful places you

have ever been. Building after building

of simple repetitive elements mixed up

in all kinds of straight, crooked, and

irregular ways. So, aim for wonderful

but don�t worry about perfection.

Remember the painter, Edgar Degas,

who in his search for beauty identified

�that hint of ugliness without which

nothing works.�

SEEK NOT ORIGINALITY

Throw off the weighty curse of

originality as quickly as you can. Forget

about designing a building that looks

like a cube, a cone, a hexagon, or an

inverted pink tower. Maria Montessori



developed a method of teaching

children based on what works. She was

not in search of some new method for

the sake of a new method. The best

question is not, �What can I do that will

be different,� but, �What can I do that

will work�? My advice: observe what

works and use it as a model, copy it, or

use the parts that work and toss the rest.

The most �original� buildings of the

twentieth century are, in many cases,

the most difficult and costly to heat and

cool, the most difficult and costly to

repair, and the most difficult and costly

to add on to � and the roof probably

leaks.

So don�t worry about being original.

The fact that you have a unique site and

a unique building program will

guarantee your building is original

enough. Besides, children don�t care

about being original; they simply are.

Good advice for your building.

SEEK NOT COMPLETION

Leave your building incomplete.

What I mean by this is, do not expect

your physical building, all by itself, to

complete the picture. The building is a

backdrop, a setting for the activities that

will happen there. Building and activity

come together in the creation of a place.

The building is not an object like a

painting or a sculpture to sit and stare

at. It is a place where children�s lives

unfold.

Inside, the vase of flowers, the

simple cloth curtains, the colorful

materials, and the children themselves

serve to complete and animate the place.

Outside, it is the sky and the trees, the

flower boxes, the gardens and fences,

the trellises and climbing plants, and the

joyful children who will complete the

image.

So, keep it simple, do not complete

the picture. The incompleteness helps

to call forth the vase of flowers.

SEEK COMFORT

Now let�s talk about the qualities we

should be looking for in our buildings

and grounds. What are the things we

can do in the design of a place that will

serve to most comfort us and out

children � mind, body, and spirit. Begin

with the simple things, like a

comfortable place to sit under the shade

of a tree and eat your lunch, or a

comfortable chair or bench that is just

the right height for your little legs; and

oh, don�t forget the soft comfortable

cushion. How about a comfortable,

easy-to-turn doorknob.

When trying to decide between two

alternative solutions, ask yourself,



�Which will be more comfortable for the

children, for their hands, for their skin,

for their sense of security and peace of

mind�.

SEEK DELIGHT

What are the characteristics of a

place, which most delight the human

animal � especially the younger

members of the species? We know that

children find delight in color, rhythm,

and patterns of order. They love caves,

hiding places, and tunnels. They like

mud, sand and water so simply include

these qualities and features.

SEEK ENNOBLEMENT

Do not lose sight of who you are

creating your school for. Think of each

child as a divine prince or princess, a

unique son or

daughter of the spirit

of the universe.

Make your places

worthy of their

presence. This does

not mean stiff and

rigid and formal.

Imagine that each of

your noble guests is

visiting you for a

vacation. It is your

responsibility to

provide the setting

that acknowledges their supreme

importance as individuals, but in a

light-hearted, joyful way.

SEEK LOVE

The ultimate test is this � does it feel

like love. Before you begin to evaluate

any particular aspect of your project,

conjure the memory of love in your

heart. Remember your most vivid

experience of what it felt like to love or

be loved. Remember the feeling. Feel it.

Really feel it. Now, as you evaluate

your design alternatives see which one

feels more like this feeling. The single

final question is always, �What would

love do here?

Your understanding of these

principles allows you to keep focused

on what is ultimately important. Do not



allow yourself to be intimidated by

strange design concepts or quick talking

architects that don�t make sense to you.

Remember � does it work?

Now, having said all that, let�s take a

look at the process that allowed us to

arrive at an agreed upon look for the

New Gate School in Sarasota. Here are

our givens. A one hundred acre campus

on a

partially

wooded

site in the

sub-

tropical

location of

South West

Florida.

The

property is

now used

for cattle

grazing

and pine

tree

farming. There are wetlands, open

fields, a stream, tall pine trees and a

dense canopy of very old oak trees. If

you stand on any one of the four

property lines of this rectangular piece

of land you will not see another

building. One property line is adjacent

to state road 72, a two-lane road that

stretches across the peninsular of

Florida from west cost to east cost. Our

parcel is 6 miles from interstate 75, a

route that defines the urban border of

Sarasota County.

Our long-range plans are for 600

children in a beautiful, rural setting with

room for farming, animals, and an

equestrian program.

So, as we began, what we were in

search of was a look, a style, or a design

image that would embody the seven

principles in a simple, efficient, and cost

effect way.

Before I share with you our results;

there is one more factor that you should

consider. You need a vision for your

place � a powerful, evocative,

enchanting image that will 1. Muster

the resources of you and your



community of supporters. 2.Capture

the attention of your customers, the

families who will enroll at your school.

And most importantly, 3. Provide a

memorable, positive, life-enhancing,

place that will form the backdrop for

your children�s lives.

In our search for an image we talked

of the great places of learning. We

studied the Greek Academy and Oxford

and Cambridge in England. We studied

the early seats of education in America,

places like Harvard, William & Mary,

and Jefferson�s University of Virginia.

As wonderful as the buildings on these

campuses are we learned how

important the spaces between the

buildings can be. We leafed through

hundred of pages of photographs of

beautiful buildings and places from

around the world.

What ultimately captured our

imaginations were the simple, one story,

white stucco, tile-roofed horse ranches

of South America. Easily constructed

buildings, built of readily available local

labor and materials, cool shady

courtyards and colorful gardens, lush

sub-tropical plants and section after

section of three- plank- high, painted

horse rail fences along tree- lined drives.

Having described the big picture

and answered the question of what our

campus would look like, much remains

to be done. Every detail down to the

walkways, window frames, and

doorknobs must be identified and tested

against our seven principles.

Perhaps once in your lifetime you

will have an opportunity to create a



place such as this. Do make it a

beautiful place. Create a place that will,

for now and ever after, comfort, delight

and ennoble the young men and women

placed in your care so that they will

forever know that they are important,

they are loved, and that, they too, are

beautiful.

Editor�s Note: Chris Gallagher is the

director of The Center for Beautiful

Places, a design, consulting and research

company located in Sarasota, Florida.

His two children have been enrolled at

the New Gate School for six years. He

served as board president for three

years. Mr. Gallagher oversees the

ongoing beautification of the New Gate

School�s Ashton Road Campus and is

the Master Planner for New Gate�s new

100-acre campus.

T H E C E N T E R F O R B E A U T I F U L P L A C E S1715 Stickney Point Road Suite C7, Sarasota, Florida 34231 941-926-7518

Principles for Creating Beautiful Places1. Seek Not Perfection2. Seek Not Completion3. Seek Not Originality4. Seek Comfort5. Seek Delight6. Seek Ennoblement7. Let the Feeling of Love Be Your Test

Patterns for Creating Beautiful Places

1. SITE PATTERNS101 Outdoor Room102 Gate, Path, and Goal103 Sunny Places/Shady Places104 Protected View of Life105 Connected Buildings

2. PLANT PATTERNS101 Tree Canopy102 Climbing Plants103 Potted Plants104 Enclosed Garden105 Wall of Plants

3. FOUNDATION PATTERNS101 Building Base102 Building Base Extension103 Building Wall Extension104 Cascading Stairs105 Wall, Path, and Tree Line

4. FLOOR PLAN PATTERNS101 FrontEntry102 Main Building With Wings103 Interior Privacy104 Comer Rooms105 Connection to Outdoors

5. FACADE PATTERNS101 Top, Middle, & Bottom102 Rhythmic Facade103 Bays & Arches104 Gables & Parapets105 Towers & Buttresses

6. ROOF PATTERNS101 Sloped Roof on Varying Wall Heights102 Textured Roofing103 Chimney, Finials, and Spires104 Cupolas, Dormers, and Domes105 Rafter Tails and Brackets

7. COLUMN PATTERNS101 Columns and Beams102 Column, Capital & Base103 Colonnade104 Pilasters105 Penmeter Columns

8. DOOR PATTERNS101 Door Hood102 Doorway Surround103 FrontDoor104 French Doors105 Glass Doors and Solid Wood Doors

9. WINDOW PATTERNS101 Small Paned Window102 Swinging Window103 Low Window Sill104 Operable Window Shutters105 Prepared Window View

10. ROOM PATTERNS101 Defined Rectangular Room102 Visible Doorway103 Room Connections104 Alcove105 Seat By A Window

Tim Seldin

11. WALL PATTERNS101 ThickWall102 Window Wall103 HalfWall104 Wall Niche105 Textured Wall

12. CEILING PATTERNS101 Varied Ceiling Heights102 Beamed Ceiling103 Discontinuous Ceiling104 Wall to Ceiling Connection105 Vaulted Ceiling

13. FLOORING PATTERNS101 Varying Floor Heights102 Wood Floors103 Stone Floors & Tile Floors104 Sod & Gravel105 Rugs & Carpets

14. LIGHTING PATTERNS101 Balanced Daylight102 Sunlight Through Trees 103 Candle Light104 Varying Light Levels105 Task Lighting

15. VENTILATION PATTERNS101 Operable Windows102 Ceiling Fan103 Exhaust Flue & Make up Air104 Non-toxic Materials105 Exhaust Fan

16. AROMA PATTERNS101 Fresh Air102 Garden Scents103 Incense and Scented Candles104 Potpourri105 Scented Food

17. SOUND PATTERNS101 Indoor Quiet102 Water Sounds103 Wind Sounds104 Animal Sounds105 Soothing Music

18. THERMAL PATTERNS101 Fireplace102 Place In the Sun103 Soft Materials on Hard104 Place By the Water105 Place in the Shade

19. WATER PATTERNS101 Bathing Place102 ShoweringPlace103 Swimming Pool104 Fountain105 Natural Water Feature

20. ORNAMENT PATTERNS101 Connection Ornament102 Gravity Ornament103 Shadow Ornament104 Symbolic Ornament105 Repeating Shape Ornament

21. COLOR PATTERNS101 All White102 Monochrome103 Raw Matenal Color104 Color With White Trim105 White With Colorful Accents

22. HARDWARE PATTERNS101 Visually Appropriate Hardware102 Tactilly Engaging Hardware103 Hand Crafted Hardware104 Durable Hardware105 Delightful to Maintain Hardware

23. FURNITURE PATTERNS101 Sitting Circle102 Tables & Chairs103 Built In Seats, Counters, & Shed104 Variety of Sitting Places105 Simple Wood, Metal, & WickerFurniture

24. FABRIC PATTERNS101 Canvas Shades102 Window & Door Cloths103 Table & Chair Cloths104 Bed Cloths105 Bath Cloths

25. ACCESSORY PATTERNS101 Indoor Plants & Flowers In Vases102 Family Photographs103 Paintings, Drawings, & Sculpture104 Books105 Mirrors

26. MAINTENANCE PATTERNS101 Litter-Free Ground102 Healthy Plants103 Fresh Coat of Paint104 Swept Walks & Drives105 Clean Windows & Doors



Modular Buildings

ByTim Seldin

Need a new building at your school?

On a tight budget? Then you ought to

consider modulars!

Modular buildings? Aren't they

those really ugly trailers turned into

"temporary" classrooms by public

schools all over the country? Well, yes

and no!

Modulars are typically built on top

of a trailer frame. Traditionally they are

the same size as a "double-wide" trailer

unit. Each module is typically 14.5 feet

wide and 54 feet long. Each piece has

outer walls along three sides, with one

long side open. Two modules fit

together to produce a modular building

29 feet wide and 54 feet long.

Want a bigger modular building?

Simple! Just ask the factory to add in

some more units with the 2 end walls in



place, but both long ends open. These

units can be placed in between the two

end modules to create addition interior

spaces, each 29 feet wide by 54 feet long.

There is no limit to how many modules

can be placed together.

Unfortunately, the result is usually a

fairly boring rectangular building with a

flat roof. Modular buildings can be

made more interesting by adding on a

mansard roof, bay widows, more

windows, or a more interesting exterior

finish. With top grade doors and

windows, a nice mansard, and sheet

cedar shingle siding, some mature

bushes, a well planned deck, and a

modular building doesn't look half bad.

At the Barrie School in Silver Spring,

Maryland, we used modulars to give us

another 15,000 square feet of long-term

"temporary" structures for our upper

school library, computer center, foreign

language, art, and music classes, along

with some additional office space.

But modular buildings don't have to

be limited to rectangular boxes. In 1993

the Countryside Montessori School

(today known as the New Gate School)

The New Gate School, Sarasota, Florida



in Sarasota, Florida, built an octagonal

central structure to house their library

and serve as a meeting area. To four of

the eight walls they fit standard

modular classroom units. Three walls

are used for glass entryways, which,

with a central skylight, give the

library/common's room a light and airy

look. One wall is used for bathrooms

and janitor's closet. Large exterior

decking provides convenient outside

workspace for the children in this warm

weather climate. While this building is

still inherently limited by its modular

construction, it is much more attractive

than many school buildings.

Altogether, this 6,000 square feet

classroom building cost Countryside

just under $200,000, or approximately

$33 a finished square foot.

Why would you want to consider

modular construction?

Cost is the most obvious factor. At

$33 a square foot, Countryside spared

no expense. Their custom designed

commons area and decking are

something that most schools have not

considered in modular construction.

Also, Countryside, concerned about the

health impact of their interior

environment, took great pains to

customize their heating/cooling system,

carpeting, paints, and other interior

finishes. A typical rectangular modular

building will probably cost 25-30% of

the finished cost of more than $100 a

square foot common today in traditional

school construction.

Another distinct advantage is

construction time. Modular buildings

are normally built inside a factory using

efficient assembly-line principles,

construction is not dependent on good

weather. Depending on how back-

ordered a modular supplier is at a given

time, it is quite common for a project to

be finished and ready for delivery on-

site within six-weeks from the date of

order.

Another plus is the minimal

disruption to your building site from

start to finish of the new construction.

Modulars are set on steel reinforced

concrete footings, which are not very

difficult to prepare. Utility hookups are

brought to the site. Then, when the

modules are completed, they are driven

to your campus on their trailer bases

and lifted up onto the footings by a

portable crane. The entire process rarely

takes more than a few days. Once

assembled, the connecting walls and

roofs are sealed, utilities connected, and

the interiors finished off. Normally most

of the interior work was done at the

factory, with bathrooms, sinks, interior

walls, carpeting, electrical outlets, and



such more or less complete on delivery

to your site. This can be a tremendous

advantage if you are building next to or

close to existing classrooms. Where

traditional construction can take

months, it is conceivably possible to

schedule the final assembly of your

modular structure over a weekend or

holiday. Future additions are equally

simple and convenient. If your master

plan design provides for eventual

expansion to four classrooms, but you

only need two at the beginning, you will

be able to add the last two modules on

at any time with minimal disruption.

One final advantage to keep in mind

is that while modular buildings are not

all that easy nor inexpensive to move,

they can be taken apart, moved, and set

up in a new location. There is even a

market for used modular buildings. So

build them, use them until you're ready

for more expensive permanent

construction, then sell them to a

worthwhile school that is just getting

going.

Are there any disadvantages to

modular construction?

Modular buildings are most often

made of wood framing built up on a

steel trailer bed. While the final result

depends on the quality of the modular

supplier's product, these are not

intended to be permanent buildings. [If

you have a choice, definitely order

everything extra heavy duty, especially

the roofs and sub-floors.] Eventually

you can expect leaks along the roof

joints and other signs of wear and tear

from active day-to-day use. On the other

hand, let's define temporary. Many

temporary modular buildings have been

in use for twenty, thirty years or more.

No, they are not built to last down

through the ages, but if your school s

still young and working with a limited

budget, modulars may give you

adequate to excellent service for your

first twenty years or so. Isn't that long

enough to get you started?

If not, then you might want to

consider one of the high end modular

units. Built entirely of steel, concrete

and brick, these units are definitely not

your typical trailers! They are

rectangular boxes built under roof in a

factory at prices that are still below the

cost of traditional construction. But

these modulars are built to last! They

have all the advantages of modulars in

terms of speed of completion and

convenience, but the cost savings may

not justify the boxy look inherent in all

present day modular construction.

Keep in mind that you are

inherently limited by the size of your

basic module. Your building will be a

maximum of 54 wide along one end and



the ceilings will be the standard height.

If you want to add on a gym with 20

foot high ceilings you'll need to look

elsewhere.

Any other disadvantages? Just one.

How do you feel about your new

buildings arriving in a long line of

tractor trailers? I wonder if there's such

a thing as modular building rustlers?

Can you just imagine thieves driving

away with your buildings in the night?



Facilities Planning Worksheets

Abundance

Balance and Beauty

Clarity � Creativity � Confidence

Ease � Freedom � Givingness � Growth

Harmony � Joy � Life � Love � Order

Peace � Power � Unity � Vitality � Wholeness � Wisdom

Circle the qualities that you would like to manifest in your school�s facilities.

Summarizing, it is our goal to create a plan for the development of our school�s facilities

that will give our school community a sense of:

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Describe the ideal campus to support your educational vision

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Describe the limitations created by your present facilities

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Describe the ideal Montessori classroom for each level of your school

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Describe your ideal outdoor environment

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

What spaces do you have for indoor play?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Where do you hold adult meetings? How appropriate are they?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________



Defining your Space Needs

How many children would you like your new facility to accommodate? _____________

How many square feet do you believe you will need in your new building? __________

What is your budget? __________________________________________________________

How will you be paying for your new facility? _______________________________

Which of the follow types of spaces will your new facility need?

Different types of space

_______ self-contained classrooms

_______ shared special purpose spaces

_______ media centers

_______ computer labs

_______ science centers

_______ a school museum

_______ language labs

_______ music and dance studios

_______ art studios

_______ gym and other physical education facilities



_______ large group spaces

_______ theater

_______ multi-purpose room

_______ dining hall

_______ a commons area

_______ office space

_______ reception areas

_______ teacher work areas

_______ small group meetings

_______ tutoring rooms

_______ conference rooms

_______ board rooms

_______ bathrooms

_______ sinks

_______ storage

_______ classroom storage

_______ central shared educational resources

_______ janitorial supplies

_______ maintenance tools and supplies

_______ hazardous materials

_______ nurse�s infirmary or area where sick children can be kept comfortable in

isolation



_______ kitchen facilities

_______ living facilities for residential students and staff

_______ outdoor work spaces contiguous to the classrooms

_______ outdoor play areas

_______ greenhouses

_______ gardens

_______ entrances to the main street

_______ drive ways through the campus

_______ parking

_______ footpaths/walkways

_______ signage on campus

_______ Telephone intercom system (in classrooms?)

_______ Phone lines or cable modem access for the Internet?

_______ Will your building be wired for satellite TV? Cable TV? Cable Modem?

Computer Network?



How will the spaces need to relate to each other?

What functions need to be close to each other?

What functions need to be kept far apart?

Which spaces need easy access to doors where deliveries can be received?

Which functions will tend to create considerable noise?

Will anything on campus be potentially dangerous or toxic? How will it be secured?

Will any functions tend to create unpleasant aromas?

Existing buildings

_______ Can they be used for your purposes?

_______ Will your local government even allow you to use them as a school?

_______ At what cost?



Will you be required to put in:

_______ Fire escapes?

_______ Metal doors?

_______ Sprinkler systems?

_______ Fire walls?

How much will their limitations affect your program�s future?

Are the rooms small, dark, and gloomy?

Are bathrooms located where they�ll be needed?

Is there any hazardous material on-site? Cost of removal?



Defining a Vision of Your School's

Future

A Vision for the Future of New GateIn the pages that follow you will find a first draft of a vision of the educational center

that we believe New Gate can become. We hope that it will both kindle your interest andstir up a few thoughts about education in general. Now the ball is your court asmembers of the New Gate community. This is simply a first draft, based partially on myprevious experience, and partially on the ideas that we are evolving together. I want toinvite your thoughts and suggestions. This school is rapidly becoming a dynamiccommunity, committed to world-class education of heart, mind, and body. Please feelfree to contact me personally by phone, in person, by e-mail, or in writing if I can answerany questions and when you are ready to offer your first input. We will work on thisvision together over the months ahead, much as the school did with my blueprint lastyear. Hopefully, before too long, we will have defined a vision far more refined than thisinitial draft.

Introduction

Learning the right answers will get you through school. Learning how to learn willget you through life! Our goal at New Gate is to lead our students to think, explore, andreflect back on what they have learned. We want active, self-disciplined minds, ratherthan students who memorize, feedback, and promptly forget.

The basis of our approach is based on the simple observation that children learnmost effectively through direct experience and the process of investigation anddiscovery. No two students learn at the same pace, nor do they necessarily learn bestfrom the same methods. We believe that a fine school must be flexible and creative inaddressing each student as a unique individual.

Before students can take advantage of a challenging education, they have to discovertheir innate abilities. They need to develop a strong sense of independence, self-confidence, and self-discipline. They must be willing to make and learn from countlessmistakes.

Ideally, our sons and daughters will develop into people who are fascinated by theuniverse, and feel compelled to understand something of life�s secrets. Hopefully, theywill come to see that we all belong to the earth and to the family of Man. Our dream isthat they will live lives filled with quiet dignity and compassion for all of mankind. Wehope that their lives will leave a positive mark on the world.

New Gate is designed to be a school where children can blossom! We seek to



cultivate renaissance men and women who follow in the intellectual tradition of ThomasJefferson. Our goal is to nurture and stimulate the spontaneous curiosity within us frombirth. New Gate has been designed to not only to give students a fine education, but toprepare them for life.

Granted, this lies beyond the scope of traditional education, but then New Gate is arather unusual school.



The Proposed Expansion Of The New Gate School by the year 2000

Student Population: An enrollment of somewhere between 350 To 600 students

organized into four divisions

The Primary School

Toddler class Age 2 to 3 20 students

Primary Classes Ages 3 to 6 120-150 students ages two and a half

to six

The Lower School Grades 1 to 3: 90-120 students ages six to nine

The Middle School Grades 4 to 6: 60-90 students ages nine to twelve

The Upper School Grades 7 & 8: 30-45 students ages twelve and

thirteen

Grades 9 -10 20-45 students ages fourteen and

fifteen

Grades 11 � 12 20-45 students ages sixteen and

seventeen



Organizational elements

The New Gate School

The Ashton Road campus (Primary School ages 2-6)

The Main Campus

Lower School (Grades 1-3)\

Middle Scholl (Grades 4-6)

Upper School (Grades 7-12)

The New Gate Studio Program (After school and weekend programs for children)

Summer at New Gate (Summer programs for children)

The New Gate Parenting Center

Parenting Resources � Educational Toys

Parent Forums And Educational Programs

�Infants, Moms And Dads� - New Parents Parenting Education Program

The New Gate Center for Montessori Teacher Education

Teacher Training Center

Conference Center

The Montessori Society of Sarasota

Public Forums � Public Information Center

Curriculum Lab And Professional Library � Book Store

Speakers Bureau � Support For Educational Reform



A Tour of New Gate in the Year 2000

At New Gate, classes are organizedto encompass a two or three-year agespan, which allows younger students toexperience the daily stimulation of olderrole models, who in turn blossom in theresponsibilities of leadership. Studentsnot only learn �with� each other, but�from� each other. We find that mostoften the best tutor is a fellow studentwho is just a bit older.

Working in one class for two orthree years allows students to develop astrong sense of community with theirclassmates and teachers. The age rangealso allows the especially gifted childthe stimulation of intellectual peers,without requiring that she skip a gradeand feel emotionally out of place.

Teachers closely monitor theirstudents' progress, keeping the level ofchallenge high. Because we know ourstudents so well, our teachers can oftenuse their own interests to enrich thecurriculum and provide alternateavenues for accomplishment andsuccess.

At the Primary, Lower, and MiddleSchool levels, students are typicallyfound scattered around the classroom,working alone or with one or twoothers. They tend to become so involvedin their work that visitors areimmediately struck by the peacefulatmosphere. It may take a moment tospot the teachers within theenvironment. They will be foundworking with one or two children at atime, advising, presenting a new lesson,or quietly observing the class at work.

Our days are not divided into fixedtime periods for each subject. Teacherscall students together for lessonsindividually or in small groups as theyare ready. In the afternoon, studentschoose from a wonderful collection ofcourses and programs in art, music,

dance, theater, second language study,computer science, sports, fitness,personal development, and careerinterests.

A typical day�s school work isdivided into �fundamentals� that havebeen assigned by the faculty and self-initiated projects and research selectedby the student. Students work tocomplete their assignments at their ownpace. Everything is completed with careand enthusiasm. Homework comes inthe form of extensive independentreading and research and weeklyintellectual challenges that studentswork on at home. There is aconsiderable expectation that studentsand families will often work together,pursuing areas of intellectual interest,reading together, exploring ideas, takingtrips to learn more first hand,interviewing experts, etc. As studentsreach the elementary years, they shouldexpect to continue their reading andindependent studies over the summer.Expectations for both creative writingand the preparation of research reportswill be fairly challenging.

Our system will have built inprocedures to give students and parentsongoing feedback. The overall effectwill be to help students to learn how topace themselves and take a great deal ofpersonal responsibility for their studies,both of which are essential for latersuccess in college.

We encourage students to worktogether collaboratively, and manyassignments can only be accomplishedthrough teamwork. Students constantlyshare their interests and discoverieswith each other. The youngestexperience the daily stimulation of theirolder friends, and are naturally spurredon to be able to do what the big kids do.



At the Upper School (Grades 7 - 12),students will follow a laboratoryapproach which will balance seminars,tutorials, field study, internships, andindependent work. All students willparticipate in on-going seminars,debates, lab work, and team projects.As a school focused on teachingstudents critical thinking skills, classeswill be set up to reflect a high level ofdiscussion and analysis. We will focusour teaching around both the greatissues of our time and those that menand women have been wrestling withthroughout history.

One of the best things about life as astudent at New Gate will always be theability to progress at your own pace.Students can move on to take advancedcourses as soon as they are academicallyprepared for them, not simply whenthey reach a given grade level.

You will often hear the wordcommunity used to describe New Gate.Its used with good reason, for New Gateis an authentic community ofpeople�young and old�living andlearning in peace and harmony. Over

the years relationships grow strong,friendship run deep. Surprisingly, therewill be few if any cliques among NewGate's students. Older students whoenter the school in the upper grades findthemselves warmly welcomed. NewGate is an international community inwhich students and teachers havelearned to collaborate on the process ofeducation rather than compete.

While New Gate is itself acommunity apart from the outsideworld in which children can first beginto develop their unique talents, we arealso consciously connected to the local,national, and global communities. Ourgoal is to lead each of our students toexplore, understand, and grow into fulland active membership in the adultworld.

Going to school in Sarasota offersmarvelous possibilities. Naturally wemake extensive use of all the natural,academic, and arts resources foundthroughout the community. Fieldstudies will be an essential element inour curriculum.

Our Facilities and Programs

Together, New Gate's two campuseswill constitute a unique environment forlearning in today�s world. The studentsand families of each campus willfrequently use the facilities of the otherfor all sorts of programs and activities.

Our Ashton Road campus is hometo our youngest students from ages twothrough five. The setting is a five acrefarm in the midst of suburbia. Ourbuildings are warm and comfortable.We have retained a sense of being partof the natural environment, rather thanclosing ourselves off from it. Ourfacilities include a young people�slibrary, a small fitness center, an art andmusic studios, and a children's farm.

Our second campus (Grades 1-12)sits on a large site with mature trees,fields, and ponds. It is hopefully locatedless than five miles from our AshtonRoad campus. Our facilities includespacious and comfortable learningenvironments, science labs, threelibraries, a fine arts centers, a computerfacilities, a large fitness center withindoor pool, stables, athletic fields, andtennis courts.

Surroundings have a great deal todo with the creation of an atmosphere oflearning. Our classrooms are ourstudent�s homes away from home�andwe strive to make them as attractive andcomfortable as possible. They arewarm, colorful, carpeted rooms filledwith plants, animals, art, music andbooks.



You will not find rows of desks inNew Gate's classrooms. Instead, youdiscover seminar rooms, interest centersfilled with intriguing learning materials,fascinating mathematical models, maps,

charts, fossils, historical artifacts,computers, scientific specimens andapparatus, and animals that the childrenare raising.

Our Ashton Road Campus:

The entrance into the school isthrough an impressive gateway. Thecampus is surrounded by a solid wall,ensuring the security of the childrenwithin. The wall and gate are not heavyand imposing, but the cocoon withinwhich our children work a play in thesafety of a prepared Mediterraneangarden atmosphere. The look of thewall, gate and buildings is carefullyconsidered and striking. It might be thesoft flowing lines of Bermudanarchitecture or �Old Florida.� Theintention is not to look pretentious andlarger than life, but small and absolutelybeautiful.

Our administrative offices include awaiting area large enough to hold 20-30people comfortably. It looks like a largeroom in a nicely designed home(perhaps you might imagine a room inthe Field Club) with large comfortablechairs, children's art work matted andframed, large photographs of thechildren at work and play, and Kitty'sportrait on the wall as Founder. Thereceptionist�s desk is tasteful anddignified, not institutional. You aregreeted by our receptionist whose liltingFrench or soft British accent begin toconvey the message that this is aninternational center. He or she isextremely competent and charming,welcoming people and presenting anatmosphere of calm and warmth.

The outer perimeter of the receptionarea is a place for entertaining childrenwho are visiting the school or waitingfor parents to pick them up. This istemporary transitional spot with booksand educational toys. The cool stone

floor is covered with oriental rugs.Despite the big bold awnings providingshade, the large French doors andwindows let in lots of natural light.There are large green plants and flowersevery where, give the room a light andairy feeling. There is a table filled withfruit in bowls made by the students. Aspecial blend of �New Gate� coffee andherbal teas are served in mugsemblazoned with the school logo. Ourlarge visitor�s bathrooms have a babychanging station. Everywhere we turn,there is evidence that someone hasgiven a great deal of thought to thisschool.

The staff in the adjoiningAdmissions office does nothing but tryto help find the �perfect fit� betweenparents, child, and school. Our goal is tofind child who will blossom at NewGate and parents who profound hareand support our mission and values.The Admissions offices (at Ashton andour second campus) have enough spaceto meet with several families at once.There is a synergy that develops whenthree or four families gather together inone room; a subtle competitionregarding who's going to be the luckyone to get in.

Beautiful covered walk ways graceour paths to the classrooms and otherbuildings, student grown wild flowerssing while the banners and flags ofevery nation wave gently in the coolautumn breeze.



A tour of a typical class room forchildren age 3-6 years.

New Gate follows the traditionalMontessori model of 25 to 30 childrenage three through five. Each class is ledby two fully certified Montessoriteachers. A third adult is a classroomaid who speaks a foreign language.During the day she speaks thatlanguage only and presents a formalconversational and cultural secondlanguage program.. Some classes run allday, from 7 am to 6 PM. In this class,faculty members overlap, with oneteacher arriving at 7 Am and leaving inthe afternoon, another arriving at noonand staying until six, and a third whostays for the normal school day. Thisoffers children who need to come inearly and stay late the highest qualityexperience. Our normal classes offer afull day program from 9 am to 3 PM.Many two year-old go home after lunch,but three year old normally stay all day.By age four, we ask all students to stayall day, which is necessary to completetheir preparation for the Lower Schoolat age six. encouraged at age two,although half-days are permissible. Weare selecting families looking for a fullday model. When Montessori, achildren's house, takes root in the child'smind and heart, they don't usuallywant to go home at half day becausetheir school is providing themintellectual and artistic intrigue.

Our Montessori classroom has atleast 50 sq. ft per child; between 1500 to2000 sq. feet of space, which is two tothree times larger than our presentfacilities. We accomplished this whenthe school moved the older children to asecond campus by combiningclassrooms in the exiting buildings andthrough some additional construction.This expansive space has had a dramaticeffect on the tone of the classes and theimpact of the physical environment isstriking. Classrooms have floor toceiling windows, bay windows, windowseats, numerous plants and trees with

French doors opening to the outside.Our gardens include flower beds,vegetable gardens and fruit trees whichare cared for by the children under theguidance of our staff horticulturaleducator. Botany and observation of thenatural world are strong elements in ourclassroom curriculum.

Our classrooms are all lavishlyequipped with the complete Montessorimaterials and educational resources andequipment, particularly computers withCD-roms and video disk and tapeplayers. Classroom furniture isbeautifully built natural wood, and theentire room communicates care,attention, order, quality. Framed artprints hang on the walls. Indoor plantsare everywhere, giving the room a trueFlorida room atmosphere. Theclassroom storage area is the size of alarge walk-in closet. In addition, thecampus has one master storage centerfrom which teachers can borrow ourcultural artifacts like the Chinesedragon, menorahs, draedels, Africanmasks, etc. Classrooms have private,child-size bathrooms and a full child-sized kitchen with dish washer andsmall clothes washer and dryer.Cooking is taught in conjunction withtrue nutritional education. Kids arepreparing snack and lunch in theclassroom and have bins of Cheerios,small pitchers of milk, toasters, fruit,and a little sink to wash the tomatoesthey've grown. We have a library andpuppet theater in each classroom.

Adjacent to the rectangular shapedmain classroom are four smaller workareas, with French doors connectingthem to the main environment so thechildren are easily visible to the adults.

In one alcove there is a smallclassroom art studio where children candraw, paint, and work with clay orother media whenever they choose to doso. Our curriculum includes art historyand art appreciation as well assculpting, weaving, basketry, painting,



and other artistic mediums which arecorrelated with classroom studies. Forexample, when studying Japan, childrenmay choose to make cherry blossoms,Japanese dolls, or handicrafts. (TheWaldorf school art curriculum offers thequality and an adaptable model in thisarea.) Another alcove is our classroomcarpentry area. Fully equipped withchild size tools, the children build andbang without disturbing the class; theyare visible, but their work sounds aremuffled. The classroom rest area isanother, larger, alcove where childrencan go to rest, meditate or just be quiet.When children are napping, an adultcan darken this alcove and stays nearby.

Our classroom and communityanimals are kept in a final alcove, closedoff from the main room. Breeds ofanimals to which children with allergiesare unlikely to be sensitive are selected,such as the Rex cats and bunnies, alongwith fish, tadpoles, iguanas and otherappropriate animals. Instruction inproper animal care and feeding isincorporated in the curriculum. Eachanimal is child-friendly and selected fortheir stability in order to minimize anyrisk.

Our after-school programming is acontinuation of the Montessori day; notday care, an enriched Montessori dayschool.

Fitness Center: Each campus has anindoor fitness center. The one on Ashtonroad is 80 by 40 ft. with a 15-20 ft ceilingand a floor covered with rubber-likematerial. A running track is inset alongthe perimeter using a contrasting color.The windows are plexi-glass, and theexercise equipment is tailored to smallbodies. There is weight and exerciseequipment including: small exer-cycles,pulleys with sandbags, weightedbuckets to carry, etc. Drown proofing is

taught in a small shallow enclosedteaching pool graduating from 2 to 3feet deep. Drown proofing classes areheld, for a fee, for small children fromthe greater Sarasota community on theweekends and in the summer months.

The Young Peoples� Arts Center:Our school is proud of its commitmentto music education. We specifically hireteachers, aids and assistants who playone or more of the common sing alonginstruments such as piano, guitar,dulcimer or auto harp. We have made aconcentrated effort to make music alarge part of our children's lives. Aswith art education, music is interrelatedto the classroom curriculum; we teach,for example, traditional Japanese songswhen studying Japan, and the childrenlearn Thai dances when studyingThailand. We have a trained chorus andevery child sings every day from ourschool songbook which includes songsfrom our summer camp and traditionalsongs about peace, love, family,community and world harmony. Ourcurriculum includes music appreciation,international cultural music, the lives ofthe great composers, the parts of theorchestra, and how music is made. Ourinstrumental program and music theoryprogram is based on the work of KarlOrff utilizing specialized instrumentsmade for little children. Children'stheater and drama are available as wellas classes for parents on teachingchildren how to sing.

This thoroughly preparedenvironment has been designed for thesafety, comfort and education of ouryoungest children, enriching theirintellect, as well as their physical,spiritual, social, and emotional wellbeing.



Our Second Campus:

Located on 50 to 100 acres, thiscampus has become the heart of theevolving New Gate School. On thisbeautifully wooded campus, buildingsare spread apart with up to 1000 feetbetween the various schools. We have alovely dining hall on campus which isused as the main dining room as well asfor parties, receptions and fundraisingevents. On Friday nights, the UpperSchool students and a group of talentedparents run a Coffee House whichfeatures intimate musical performance,wonderful coffees, teas, fruit drinks anddeserts. It provides a place to be formany parents and older students.

The offices, classrooms, and groundsreflect the same care that we describedon the Ashton Road campus. Buildingsare lovely, but not pretentious. As youwalk through the grounds, theimpression that you get is that of abeautiful conference center. Thearchitecture might be the strong, boldlines and colors of traditional Bermudangreat houses, or the look of old Florida.Each building will look like it reallybelongs. There will be high ceilings,French doors, bay windows, and lovelygardens and verandahs. Quality art willbe found throughout the school, hung atadult and children's height,reproductions and the very bestchildren's art work are properly framedand mounted; there are pedestals withsculptures, and beautiful bowls in theclassrooms and public spaces. Livingplants create a more lovely and healthierenvironment, so there are indoor plants,flowers and greenery everywhere.

The Classroom Buildings: Thethree divisions of the school on thiscampus are separated from each otherto allow the children the space to decidewhether or not they want to be aroundthe younger and older students. Thevarious ages groups definitely interact,

but in appropriate and positive ways asbig brothers, tutors, and classroomassistants. The classrooms within eachdivision are organized as semi-independent learning centers. complexis an independent s have cathedralceilings, expansive windows, andFrench doors. Each has at least 1500 to2500 square feet. The older studentsnaturally need even more room. Each ofthe main classrooms has several smallerwork spaces off in alcoves spacedaround the sides. Here you will find akitchen, small art studio and craftworkshop, a seminar room, privatetutorial room, a teachers� office and verywell equipped science lab withchemistry tables, science equipment,animal cages, telescopes, a wave tableand attached green house. Each studentowns an inexpensive notebookcomputer, which she can plug into thenetwork built in to the building.Wherever she is on campus, she cansend and receive e-mail, access thecentral library computer, or access aprinter. Modems placed in the centrallibraries allow students to access theinter-net.

Each division has its own centrallibrary/research center with a full timelibrarian. This quiet work place wasdesigned as a stimulator of curiosity topique kids interest. We have a collectionof well over 20,0000 bound volumes,CD-Roms, and videotapes and disks.We have truly made a substantialinvestment in children's research books.Our multi- media commitment is secondto none. We have a satellite connectionfor television so children studyingRussia, for example, can watchtelevision originating in Moscow. Eachstudent has her own power book, withinternet and E mail connections; andcomputers with laser printers areavailable throughout the building. Wehave a wonderful collection of models:



ships, airplanes, record players, oldmachinery, and tools, all of which havebeen donated. There are numerousdisplay cases filled with culturalresources you might expect to find in amuseum.

The Community Parenting Center:This is a special center for both our ownfamilies and offering programs to thebroader community. The center has twoaspects. The first is a parents� loungeand activity rooms where parents cometo meet, plan, work and play. This iswhere committees commonly meet.Parenting classes are held in theevenings and during the day. There is aworkshop where Montessori materialsare made and repaired. The materials-making studio includes a big screencomputer, high quality laser printer,color printer, digitizers, cutting boards,laminators, duplicators, binders andother materials parents need to help ourteachers prepare materials for theclassrooms.

The Lifetime Family Fitness Centerincludes an indoor-outdoor track,indoor/outdoor swimming pool, tenniscourts, nautilus and cardiovascularexercise equipment. The Fitness Centeris available to families at night, on theweekends and during the summermonths. Each student has anindividually tailored fitness plan whichincludes nutrition education and stressreduction activities. Staff monitoring,and record keeping is based on theMontessori laboratory theory accordingto specific individual objectives. Atechnical rock climbing wall, fencing,karate, aerobic dance, track and field,cross country training, and fitnesseducation is available for each child andher family.

The Riding Center houses 15-20horses completely cared for by thechildren under the direction of thestable manager. In addition to ridinginstruction during afternoon, evening,and weekend studios, they learn the

basics of horse rearing. All our horsesare gentle, seasoned school horses. Wehave a 100� square indoor riding arena,which makes it possible to ride afterdark and on rainy and all but the hottestdays. Riders from New Gate compete inthe local horse show circuit. Thisprogram is optional but prepaidthrough tuition, so every student mayride if she is interested. During thesummer we offer riding as one of ourcamp activities.

We have many other small farmanimals, such as sheep and ducks, and avery large gardening and horticulturalfarm. There is outdoor classroom cropinstruction and a school-community co-op purchasing plan for all thewonderful fruits, herbs and vegetablesour students grow.

As a small business, the childrenbreed and train miniature horses.

The Arts Center: The New GateArts Center provides facilities whereour students and their parents canexplore the performing and visual artsthroughout the day, evenings, and onweekends. The Center includes abeautiful amphitheater or performancehall, with a professional sound systemand stage lighting, a hardwood stagefloor for performance, and seats for1000-2000 people. Here we holdmonthly community meetings,graduation, our yearly end of schoolclosing ceremony, and many plays andmusical performances. The Center is aSarasota community resource for localtheater, symphonic performances, andother theatrical events. Each of ourstudents is encouraged through theStudio Program to comprehensivelyexplore the visual and performing arts.During afternoon, evening, andweekend Studios, both individual andgroup programs are offered in areassuch as the full range of arts,photography, video production, dance,acting and theater, voice lessons, chorus,instrumental instruction, andperformance groups. The school has



various singing groups and a smallorchestra which perform throughout thecommunity. The Art Center complexincludes many smaller rooms which areused by private instructors to offerindividual music instruction for ourstudents, students from other schoolswho are enrolled in the Studio Program,and parents. Lessons hours extend intothe evenings and weekends. The Centeralso has several different art studios setup as Montessori open studios, whereartists in residence maintain studios inseveral media where students can workindependently during the StudioProgram or take formal classes in areassuch as painting, sculpture, pottery,fabric, wood working, etc. Our dancestudio offers training in ballet, tap, jazz,modern or ballroom dancing. The ArtsCenter also offers a full program ofadult education in the arts and acomprehensive summer Arts programfor children.

The New Gate Center for AdvancedMontessori Studies and New GateConference Center offers course workaccredited from a Florida. University ina Masters degree program with a focusin Montessori education. The faculty isa combination of leaders from ourschool administration and faculty, aswell as outside professionals. Ourinternational courses are intensive two

or three 10-week summer programsmeeting all day five days a week. Thiscenter has it's own administration, aprofessional library, and curriculumlaboratory which has Montessorimaterials on display year round forteachers, parents and public relationsactivities. We provide seminarsworkshops, and in service training forpublic school teachers and principals,leadership groups, graduate level earlychildhood, elementary and secondaryMontessori teacher training courses, andin-service refresher courses andseminars for Montessori educators whowant to expand their expertise. Thereare meeting rooms, a dining hall,sleeping facilities used by on-campussummer students in the training centerand by educators and families who areattending conferences or retreats. ThisCenter for educational renewal includesa research wing where our researchcoordinator trains teachers on how to dolegitimate educational research in theirclassrooms and is publishing researchvalidating Montessori methods andother innovative strategies. It is herethat the teacher�s center for this campusis located.

Tim Seldin

Here is an example of one school's master plan, developed in 1997 for the Whitby School in Greenwhich, Connecticut. It is not uncommon for such plans to go through several revisions before the improvements shown may e completed. This is the sort of doument that would normally be shared with the board, administration, faculty, and key parents who might be interested in making a commitment to support the new construction or rennovation before a simplified version is prepared for the general school community. Our thanks to the Whitby School for permission to share this example of their planning process.

Documents

Designing facilities