2006 Design Awards Introduction

2006 Award Winning Projects and Interactive Map

Emerging Design Themes

Meet the 2006 Review Team

2006 Honor Award Winner: Kindergarten #911

2006 Honor Awad Winner: Feather River Academy

2006 Honor Award Winner: Nus High School of Mathematics & Science

2006 Honor Award Winner: Chugach Optional Elementary School

Merit Award Winner List

Citation Award Winner List

Recognized Value Award Winner List

2007 Call for Entries

2006 Design Award Media Partners: School Construction News, Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation), and Schools4Life 

e-Newsletter Sponsor: C/S Group

Interested in Becoming a Sponsor?

2006 Design Awards Introduction

For the 7th straight year, DesignShare proudly announces the winning projects from our international Design Award progam. The winning 2006 Design Awards program recognizes educational facility projects demonstrating innovative design dedicate to the future of learning around the globe.

These Awards winners were selected from project submittals originating from 16 states in the US and 11 countries around the globe (including Argentina, China, Iceland, Germany, Canada, Iran, Singapore, Australia, Israel, India, and Mexico).

2006 Award Winning Projects and Interactive Map

The 2006 program recognizes four Honor, nine Merit, fifteen Citation, and twelve Recognized Value Awards.

Each of these projects joins over 400 best practice case studies that can be reviewed using the newly designed DesignShare Interactive Awards Map powered by Google technology.

Search map by keywords, award categories and years, locations, and project types.

Emerging Design Themes

This year, eight distinct design themes emerged, extending beyond the type of building (elementary vs. university) and setting (rural vs. urban) by speaking to deeper community and learning needs. Each of these themes were located within a remarkably diverse range of internationa projects our team reviewed, read, discovered, and debated this summer.

Highlights include:

1. Designing for Small Learning Communities
2. Designing for Many Layers of Community
3. Designing for Sustainability and Constant Renewal
4. Designing for Learning Outcomes focused on the Future
5. Designing for Radical Flexibility
6. Designing for Movement and Collaboration
7. Designing for Evolving Building Projects
8. Designing for Openness and Transparency

Meet the 2006 Review Team

Our 12 distinguished team members in 2006 — each a leader in their specialty — combine a wealth of experience in educational facility planning, architecture, and research.

Photo: (Top, L-R) Rodolfo Almedia, Randy Fielding, Bobbie Hill, Ulla Kjærvang, Dr. Jeff Lackney, Dr. Frank Locker; (Bottom, L-R) Prakash Nair, Jeff Phillips, Dr. Henry Sanoff, Dr. Susan Wolff, Amy Yurko, Dr. Pablo Campos.

Biographical information for each review team member can be found here: 2006 Review Team

2006 Honor Award Winner: Kindergarten #911

Location: Argentina

Designer: Ana Ines Bajcura

Description: The project designer’s initial premise grew out of a belief that children learn by playing both with and within a building’s spaces.

Reviewer comment: “I could not resist commenting, ‘Only in Argentina!’ This building is clearly a wonderful place for children to begin their education.”

Link to project specifications and images: Kindergarten #911

2006 Honor Award Winner: Feather River Academy

Location: California (US)

Designer: Architecture for Education Incorporated

Description: Feather River Academy speaks boldly about the power of a school’s mission driving design decisions.

Reviewer Comment: “Imagine a district/community that had not built a new school for three decades and choosing ‘kids at risk̵7; as their shining example for what a 21st century learning environment could be.”

Link to project specifications and images: Feather River Academy

2006 Honor Award Winner: Nus High School of Mathematics & Science

Location: Singapore

Designer: CPG Consultants Pte Ltd.

Description: This 1200-student high school is a first-of-its-kind high school in Singapore to be both developed and managed by a university.

Reviewer comment: “This project was an inspiration. As a new student to this school or even a returning student, how fun to discover the metaphors and perhaps even be surprised how they change as the level of knowledge and understanding is deepened. Can you imagine how fun it would be to teach in this school?”

Link to project specifications and images: Nus High School of Mathematics and Science

2006 Honor Award Winner: Chugach Optional Elementary School

Location: Alaska (US)

Designer: McCool Carlson Green Architects

Description: Chugach Optional Elementary School is a dynamic example of re-visiting the open-school plans of years past while re-imagining them in a 21st century renovation.

Reviewer comment: “Kudos to the educators who had a 1970’s open plan, and didn’t rush to throw it away in favor of ‘cells and bells’. This school represents the thoughtful evolution from the ‘open plan’ to the ‘collaborative plan’.”

Link to project specifications and images: Chugach Optional Elementary School

2006 Merit Award Winners:

Cambridge Media Arts Studio, Massachusetts (US).

Designer: HMFH Architects Inc.

Reviewer comment: “Its value is in its school to bigger-world-beyond-school connections.”

The Bay School of San Francisco, California (US).

Designer: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

Reviewer comment: “This is the educational equivalent of a grand hotel, with open and inviting public spaces on the ground floor, and accommodating the generally private spaces above.”

Sportsakademia, Iceland.

Designer: Arkitektur.Is

Reviewer comment: “The sculptural mass of rock, floating wood stair and shockingly wild lime green floors are more than eye candy to me–they transform this from a prison (how I experience most schools) to a place I could inhabit.”

St. Stephen's School, Australia.

Designer: Fairweather Proberts Architects Pty Ltd.

Reviewer comment: “Represents a nice combination of planning gestures to promote collaboration and activity-based learning.

Pistorius-Schule, Germany.

Designer: Behnisch Architekten

Reviewer comment: “There is much to be learned from designing for students with exceptionalities. We should adopt such techniques for all educational environments.”

Perspectives Charter School, Illinois (US).

Designer: Perkins+Will

Reviewer comment: “I think the architecture is brave and dynamic in its form, and in its organization and use of with light and colors.”

Estrella Mountain Community College Ocotillo Hall, California (US).

Designer: Orcutt/Winslow Partnership

Reviewer comment: “More proof that some of the most innovative educational programs and design solutions are beginning to gather speed at the community college level …and push the pace of the race, too.”

Montessori School of Maui, Hawaii (US).

Designer: Flansburgh Associates, Inc.

Reviewer comment: “Kudos to both architects and educators for their vision and willingness to treat children with the respect they deserve.”

Herget Middle School, Illinois (US).

Designer: Architecture for Education Incorporated

Reviewer comment: “I think [it gives] a sense of ownership to staff and students.”

2006 Citation Award Winners

Top Row (left to right):

Thomas L. Wells Public School, Scarborough, CA (US), Baird Sampson Neuert Architects
York/Liverpool Elementary School, Medina, Ohio (US), Duket Porter Associates
Three Mile Creek Elementary, Perry, UT (US), VCBO Architecture, LLC
York Region School for Athletics and Healthy Active Living, Markham, Ontario, Canada, ZAS Architects Inc.
Michael Berry Career Center, Dearborn Heights, MI (US), Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc.

Middle Row (left to right):

Franklin High School Outdoor Classroom, Los Angeles, CA (US), Alex Amerri
Gurukul (elementary school), Kerala, India, Architecture Department/Auroville Building Centre
Twelve Bridges High School, Lincoln, CA (US), NTDSTICHLER Architecture
Chung Cheng High School, Singapore, CPG Consultants Pte Ltd
Salisbury School, Salisbury, CT (US), The Office of Michael Rosenfeld, Inc., Architects

Bottom Row (left to right):

Universidad de Monterrey: Preparatoria Unidad Valle Alto, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico, Bernardo Hinojosa Architects and Planners
Blythewood High School, Blythewood, SC (US), Perkins+Will Architects
King/Robinson Magnet School, New Haven, CT (US), Davis Brody Bond LLP
New Upper Elementary School, North Hanover Township, NJ (US), Vitetta
Suzhou Singapore International School, Suzhou, China, CPG Consultants Pte Ltd

2006 Recognized Value Award Winners

Top Row (left to right):

Georgetown South Child Development and Community Center, Virginia (US), BMK Architects PC
Celentano Museum Academy, Connecticut (US), Gilbane Building Co.
Stittsville Public School, California (US), Edward J Cuhaci and Associates Architects Inc.
Northwest Middle School, Utah (US), VCBO Architecture, LLC

Middle Row (left to right):

Weymouth High School, Massachusetts (US), Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc.
Little Elm High School, Texas (US), SHW Group
Little Village Lawndale High School, Illinois (US), OWP/P
Cass Technical High School, Michigan (US), TMP/TYJT

Bottom Row (left to right):

Vanden High School, California (US), Gelfand Partners Architects (formerly Gelfand RNP)
Microsoft School of the Future, Pennsylvania (US), The Prisco Group
Tehran Virtual School, Iran, Reza Sadeghi
UCI Natural Sciences Unit II Building, California (US), UCI Design & Construction Services

2007 Call for Entries

DesignShare will open registration for the 2007 Design Awards program in the spring of 2007.

For general program information re: the submittal of projects for the 8th annual Awards program, please go to the Awards link where you can learn about the program's Principles, Categories, Eligibility, and Registration process.

2006 Design Awards Media Partners

School Construction News:

The newspaper for school construction.

Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation):

Celebrating and encouraging innovation in schools.

SchoolsforLife:

Advocating for the single biggest government investment in improving school buildings in over 50 years in England.

This e-Newsletter sponsored by:

Construction Specialties, Inc. (C/S GROUP) is committed to design innovation and the improvement of educational environments. C/S manufactures impact-resistant wall covering and wall protection products, entrance-flooring systems, expansion joint covers and daylight management products for schools.

With more than 70 registered patents, C/S is skilled in listening to architects and developing innovative new products to meet their projects’ specific requirements. A complete Design Manual is available at (888) 621-3344.

You may also download product drawings directly from the C/S Web site

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