Wildwood Secondary Campus

Narratives

Architect Narrative

In an American high school culture characterized by a low level of expectation and a fragmented educational experience, this proposal seeks to reformulate a high school institution within a recycled urban context. This attempt involves planning on two functional fronts:

One, the integration of what research informs us about the way we learn. This project exploits the student’s ability to learn laterally and vertically through seemingly unconnected subjects to achieve wholistic knowledge. The layout of the school delineates these interdisciplinary relationships.

Two, one of the stated goals of Wildwood is the ability of the student to graduate as a part of the community.

The project is built within an existing 40,000 s.f. warehouse building recently used as a television production facility. The existing building was a single story light manufacturing building constructed around 1940 with a later parking structure addition. It remains a reinforced-brick structure with a double bay bow truss roof framing system.

The design utilizes the entirety of the existing 40,000 s.f. plus 15,000 s.f. of mezzanine area which was created due to the existing internal height of the building. Our proposal is designed not to alter the existing structure, but rather create freestanding program components within the shell of the existing building.

The solution is straightforward in that we utilized the existing geometry and structure of the building. The bow truss structure began as the organizing framework for the design of the project. Space was “found” in the center upper portion of each truss bay that we utilized for student portfolio storage, lounge spaces and art studios. These “loft spaces” are connected with a system of stairs and landings that in turn connect to the different curriculum areas below.

Each three bay division encourages interdisciplinary learning by grouping Math, Language and Humanities classes around an open common space with a stair. This division-based design allows for one or more class activities to spillover into each other. The walls of the circulation path are designed as operable displays that are to be modified by the students as they use the space. Due to the tight site constraints, we also deployed the notion of flexible space throughout the project. For instance, the theater, music room and gathering space are clustered near one another and systems of operable doors are used to separate and join spaces as needed.

The layout of the project encourages student interaction on all levels. At the senior level, students are encouraged to work and conduct independent study within the community. At a society level, the street orientation of the layout locates the gathering spaces to allow outside community participation with the students.