PBL MIDDLE SCHOOL
2016
Instructor: Stefani Danes Coordinator: Steve Lee
Carnegie Mellon University
program & site
This is a middle school located in the neighborhood of Friendship, Pittsburgh. It emphasizes project-based-learning (PBL).
concept
This design aims to support the psychological development of teenagers. It facilitates a flexible learning process and helps shape the group identity of the students.
IN CLASS EXPERIENCE
In a PBL school, students bring up the question, decide the topic, come up with the solution, and evaluate the result, all on their own. Accordingly, the polygon shape classrooms create more specialized places around each corner, and the multi-directionality will make the space feel more dynamic and inspiring. Students could arrange the setting entirely base on their specific learning activity.
AFTER CLASS EXPERIENCE
Outside the classroom, the atrium space connects the classroom with other public learning spaces. The atrium space is continuous, yet because the classrooms are offset, the atrium will be perceived as three indirectly connected zones. A square in each zone marks the territory for each class. These spaces are designed for the occupants to take possession of and to express their group identity. Students from each class may decorate and furnish their hub however they want, enhancing their internal cohesion and sense of belonging. Each “territory” is blended with the collective passage, achieving a balance between privacy and communication.
index & section
plans
