K-12 School Design:The Next 50 Years

For 50 years, Fanning Howey

has helped communities create

exceptional places to learn.

Dan Mader, CEO of Fanning

Howey, and Michael Hall, Chief

Marketing Officer, talk about

how school design has changed

since 1961, and what the next

50 years might bring.

Dan Mader

Michael Hall

50 years is a long time. What has changed the most about school design since 1961?

Dan Mader: There are so many things that have impacted the way we design and build schools – technology, a renewed focus on sustainability, the increasing need to stretch our client's limited budgets. But the most fundamental factor has been the educational community's recognition that people learn in different ways.

In the past, there was one accepted way to learn, and if you were good at it, great. If not, you were out of luck. Schools and classrooms didn't change. Walk into a 1960s classroom at the end of the school year and it would look the same as it did at the beginning of the year.

Now, learning environments need to be flexible enough to change on a weekly, daily, and even hourly basis. Schools are supporting lecture-style instruction, team-based learning, individual research, and much more. There is a focus on making sure that every person can find their place.

Michael Hall: That is completely right. The emphasis on supporting different learning methods has resulted in an increased focus on students (crazy, I know). We've moved from an industrial model of instruction, with five rows of desks and a "sage on a stage" imparting knowledge, to a new approach that is more self-directed, more collaborative, and more connective, both within the classroom and with the outside world.

Another huge difference is the level of collaboration involved in the design of a school. When I was practicing architecture in West Virginia 30 years ago, there was no faculty or community involvement. A Superintendent would call you and say, "I need 25 classrooms, a gym, and a cafeteria. Let me know when the plans are done."

In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, that changed dramatically. In 1998, I remember having a design team of about 60 people for the new Northville High School in Northville, Michigan. Now in 2011, the core groups are

usually smaller, but there are more ways to distribute information to the broader community. For example, during design of the new Colonel Smith Middle School in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, we put together a Wiki to share ideas, keep everyone up-to-date on the schedule, and warehouse presentation materials.

Dan Mader: What the increased level of stakeholder involvement does is create a school that is more community-oriented – at least the successful projects are. New technologies like 3D modeling allow us to communicate more effectively with our clients. But in the end, the best way to collaborate is still the most timeless – you sit down across from someone and listen to their needs.

21st Century Classroom Diagram

Traditional ClassroomDiagram

K-12 School Design:

What trends have had the biggest impact on how you design schools?

Michael Hall: How communities use school buildings has had a tremendous impact on modern school designs.

In the 1920s and 1930s, schools were the centers of the community. With the suburban flight of the 1940s and 1950s, that changed. A school building was designed for education, and nothing else. In the last 20 years, the role of the school has come full circle – these buildings are reclaiming their role as centers for recreation, physical education, continuing education, and socialization. As architects, we are now more focused on examining potential partnerships and making sure that things like site design, parking, traffic flow, and security features support those goals.

Dan Mader: For me, trends in grade configurations have had a huge impact on how we design schools. In 50 years, we've seen almost everything – comprehensive K-12 campuses, preschools, elementary schools, intermediate schools, middle schools, junior high schools, freshman centers, high schools, etc.

When it comes right down to it, I don't think there is any one answer for grade configurations. Each community needs to make its own decisions based on the maturity level of the students, milestones in the curriculum, and the impact on operating costs.

Michael Hall: Security is another big issue, especially in urban school districts. Always a priority, it seems to become more important every year. As architects, our goal is to provide a variety of flexible learning spaces while also keeping students safe and secure. In some communities, that means CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) strategies, and in others it means metal detectors and sophisticated security systems.

Dan Mader: The thread that runs through all these trends is this: Each community needs to make their own choices about what works for them. The questions are always the same: How do we teach our children? How do we keep them safe? How do we serve the broader community? Strategies change over time, but our basic goal has always been to find solutions that meet the specific needs of our clients.

In the last 20 years, the role of the school has come full circle...

The Next 50 Years

Opened in 1995, Dakota High School featured

a natatorium designed to support year-round

community use. The partnership was innovative

at the time, but is a common strategy today.

Everyone today is talking about energy-efficiency and sustainable design. How has Fanning Howey addressed these issues over the years?

Michael Hall:Our firm, and the entire architectural and engineering industry, has come a long way in the area. If you think back to 50 years ago, it was before the oil embargo, and everyone viewed cheap, readily-available energy as their birthright. There was no wall insulation in buildings, no roofing insulation either. Energy just wasn't a big concern.

Dan Mader:After the oil embargo in the 1970s, energy-efficiency became a huge issue, and I think that led to some disturbing architectural trends. Back then, the standard response was to reduce the amount of glass and just create a "box." I have always taken pride in the fact that Fanning Howey tried to be a little more creative. I'm thinking specifically of North Harrison Elementary School in Indiana.

North Harrison was Fanning Howey's first earth-sheltered school. Many schools today use green roofs as demonstration elements; at North Harrison, the entire academic portion of the building was covered by a green roof. This concept wasn't developed because of some state mandate—it was simply the best way to achieve the Owner's vision.

Michael Hall:I think that same philosophy should apply to sustainable design today. Obviously, our approach to energy-efficiency is much more sophisticated now. Sustainable design and LEED® certification are the norm. At Fanning Howey, we're proud of the fact that we are regularly ranked on Engineering News-Record's list of the Top 100 Green Design Firms. But our most successful projects are still the ones where the pursuit of energy-efficiency and sustainability is directly tied to the client's educational and fiscal needs.

K-12 School Design:

Finished in 1982, North Harrison Elementary

School was the first earth-sheltered school in

Indiana and one of Fanning Howey's earliest

green schools.

Colonel Smith Middle School

What will a K-12 school look like 50 years from now?

Dan Mader: That's an extremely tough question. If you look at how fast our society is changing, it becomes apparent that school buildings will need to be highly flexible and adaptable. Already, we're starting to move away from 100 percent fixed walls and toward open learning environments that can easily be rearranged.

Michael Hall: This is the concept behind our design for the new Colonel Smith Middle School in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Instead of traditional walls and corridors, the building will be organized around several 2,000-square-foot Collaboration Spaces. Mobile furniture and casework will allow students to rearrange their educational environment to support various project-based activities. Hand-held technology will also be an integral part of the learning experience.

Dan Mader: As far as the future goes, I think new developments in technology will continue to change what the classroom is and can be. In the late 1990s, I wrote an article for American School & University where I talked about media walls, basically an interactive whiteboard combined with an operable wall. I could see something along those lines – it's all part of the continuing evolution of chalk on slate.

...it's all part of the continuing evolution of chalk on slate.

Michael Hall: As technology continues to advance, I see the integration of more virtual learning and distance learning opportunities. But while a school building in 2061 will look radically different, it is hard to imagine there not being some kind of physical space where students and teachers come together to learn from one another. That's the heart and soul of the educational experience—and no amount of technology can replace that.

Dan Mader: I completely agree. There is more to education than reading, writing, and arithmetic. There is the social education that takes place. Employers today are looking for individuals who can work well in teams. To appreciate and be able to function in a diverse community like the workplace, you need to be part of one in your formative years.

Dan Mader’s classroom of the future concept

The Next 50 Years

The January 1998 issue

of American School &

University featured Dan

Mader’s concept for a

classroom of the future.

The design is very similar

to the one currently being

proposed for the new

Colonel Smith Middle School

in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

We take this responsibility very seriously. Yes, we have always focused on providing the best possible learning environments and creating the most energy-efficient buildings. But we also know that we are creating memories for people that will last a lifetime. And while no one will look back fondly on that well-placed skylight, we want to create spaces that enhance the individual's overall experience of their formative years.

In the next 50 years, Fanning Howey will continue to be a leader in educational planning and design solutions. As educational delivery continues to evolve, so will our firm.

That will require a continued dialogue between architects and educators at the highest level. Organizations like the Council of Educational Facility Planners International are a wonderful catalyst for discussion and innovation – so that while we're designing the schools of today, we can make sure that they will also meet the needs of tomorrow.

Looking back, what gives you the greatest sense of accomplishment? And where do you see Fanning Howey going in the next 50 years?

Michael Hall: I am extremely proud of the fact that so many communities have entrusted their futures to Fanning Howey. Whether it is a K-12 campus in a rural village or major rebuilding efforts in New Orleans, Detroit, and Washington, D.C., the opportunity to make a lasting impact is always there. To be able to make that kind of difference has been a great privilege.

Dan Mader: When you look at the number of lives we have been able to impact through our designs, the number is literally in the millions. It's both staggering and humbling to think of all the students, teachers, and community members who have walked through the doors of a Fanning Howey-designed school.

To be able to make that kind of difference has been a great privilege.

Eastern High School

K-12 School Design:

...so that while we're designing the schools of today, we can make sure that they will also meet the needs of tomorrow.

Greater Gentilly High School

Zionsville Multi-Disciplinary

Instructional Center

Eastbrook Elementary School

School for Creative and Performing Arts

Eastmont K-8 School

The Next 50 Years

Hicksville PK-12 School

Ironton High School

V. Sue Cleveland High School