Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

1. What exemplary ideas does the design contain that enhance learning?
Design and provide a school that addresses the following educational concepts:
„h Address the characteristics of middle school students: curious, need visuals, love to socialize, need peer acceptance, dependent but want independence, care about global issues, and worry about their future. Provide for technology in teaching and learning.
Address the guiding principles in the design of the school:
„h The school climate is student-centered, professional, supportive, safe, exciting, and close knit. Curriculum is integrated, innovative and includes real life skills and concepts. Instruction is hands on, relevant, challenging, interactive, innovative and responsive. The administration, faculty, students, parents and community team together and share in decisions to achieve visions and goals, providing a self-sufficient and secure learning environment for the students and community. The school design is aesthetically pleasing, energy efficient, technologically up to date and provides the best climate for learning. Facilities provide exciting, dynamic teaching and learning environments. Technology is integrated in all aspects of the school.
Design themes:
„h Enable the school community to network with each other. Facilitate the creation of caring and nurturing environment. Be dynamically flexible. Promote responsible actions by all.
Curricular emphasis:
„h ¡§Hands On¡¨ practical arts, science and technology. Integration of the Island Culture in the school themes.
Students¡¦ desires:
„h Fun-like Discovery Zone. Safe and secure buildings. Comfortable ¡V with many places to sit and socialize. Well ventilated. Colorful.
School¡¦s Vision:
The participants in the charette desired that their school express the following vision statement:
¡§To provide a stable, safe, and supportive environment that enables students to excel amidst adolescent and technological changes with a first class facility.¡¨
Design Concepts and Special Features:
Site concepts:
„h An open, park like atmosphere has been incorporated into the central courtyard scheme of the campus which features a large gathering area and shaded benches and tables for socializing. The architects accomplished an open, inviting feeling for the campus while working with a difficult and constrained site. Cultural gardens have been provided in each of the classroom ¡§houses.¡¨
Classroom House concepts:
„h The design of the classroom house resulted from the community¡¦s desire for a ¡§family gathering place.¡¨ General classrooms, science and special education classrooms, support facilities and gathering places surround a landscaped interior courtyard. Proximity of all elements within view of the faculty center for added sense of student¡¦s safety and security. Flexible walls and state of the art technology are built into the classrooms.
Cafeteria and Dining Room:
„h Designed to be the primary gathering place for students and the community ¡V to be a place of enjoyment, belonging and harmony, where the food, music, and dance of different cultures bring people together.
Multi-Purpose Building concept:
„h The Multi-Purpose Building will provide opportunities and creative spaces for integrated, hands-on exploration and training for art, agricultural arts, business, computer technology, industrial technology and family and consumer science. A central breezeway daylighted area has been design to celebrate student¡¦s works and achievements. The building is connected to outdoor areas which include a green house, mist and lath house.
Library and Media Center concept:
„h The Library and Media Center reflects the evolution of the school library concept which includes computers and video production centers. The classroom and lab facilities will be open to the community for convenient evening use, reinforcing the feeling that this is, indeed, a facility for the entire community.
Music Building:
„h The Music Building features a covered, outdoor performing area to be uses by the school and community.
Aesthetics and appearance:
„h Plantation style with its simple roof forms, deep overhangs and articulated windows. Cool, soothing materials and colors used with occasional bright accent colors for an exciting environment. Central campus layout includes meandering walks and shade trees provides a focal point for the school and many gathering places. Residential style buildings graciously fit into the surrounding environment, invoking a feeling of comfort for the students; a home away from home atmosphere.

2. What innovations in the planning, programming, and design process supported the realization of those exemplary ideas?
This school has been designed as a 21st. New Century School and has utilized the design charette process that provided for significant input by the community and the school that it will serve.

This unprecedented approach has resulted in a trend-setting, innovative type of school design. It is humanistic, infused with local culture, yet supremely functional; fulfilling today¡¦s needs and ready for tomorrow with future-oriented advanced technologies. The design of the school and its resulting heart and soul is far from the cookie-cutter stereotype of established educational specifications. It reflects the beliefs and values of its students, parents, faculty and community members. All involved in the creation of the school were encouraged to ¡§think out of the box¡¨ and envision what could be achieved not look back at the usual and expected.

The school serves 1200 to 1500 sixth to eighth grade students. It has been designed as a middle school, provides flexibility in the use of classroom spaces, uses financial and facility resources cost effectively, and provides a nurturing, caring and exciting academic environment for the students.
The involvement of the community, students, parents and teachers was a crucial element in the success of the project; not only in fulfilling the needs and desires of those for whom the school was being built, but in creating a sense of ownership and pride in their school.