2012 NCSBA Award for Excellence in Architectural Design

2012 NCSBA

Award for Excellence in Architectural Design Competition

2012 NCSBA

Award for Excellence in Architectural Design Competition 1. A. L. Brown STEM Academy........................ MBAJ Architecture 2. Career & Technical Educational Center...... SFL+a Architects 3. Career Center.................................................. Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce 4. Franklinton County High School................. MBAJ Architecture 5. Greene County Intermediate School............ Moseley Architects 6. Lakewood Montessori Middle School......... Little Diversified Architectural Consulting 7. Lucas Middle School...................................... DTW Architects and Planners 8. New Bertie High School................................. Hite Associates 9. Newton Conover Middle School.................. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting 10. Pilot Mountain Middle School...................... Little Diversified Architectural Consulting 11. Sandy Ridge Elementary School................... DTW Architects and Planners 12. West Apex High School................................. Little Diversified Architectural Consulting 13. Wilburn Elementary School.......................... Moseley Architects 14. About the Competition

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL CENTER, ALAMANCE-BURLINGTON SCHOOL SYSTEM PROJECT DETAILS • New Construction: 43,700 square feet • 450 students The Career and Technical Education Center project is the realization of a vision by the Alamance-Burlington School Systems Board of Education to continue to develop opportunities for students to get excited about education. It is also intended to engage the community at large and provide opportunities for lifelong learning and personal development. The facility will stand as a centerpiece for the role of technology in education today and offer programs and studies to students across the ABSS school district.

LEARNING AMBIANCE The Career and Technical Education Center is currently under review for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The facility was specifically designed to provide students with a clean, contagion free learning environment through controlled indoor air quality. The HVAC system employs a stateof-the-art ultra-violet air filter to condition all outside air prior to introduction into the facility. Each space has its own temperature control and all spaces are designed to minimize noise pollution through a controlled acoustical design between learning spaces. An inspiring color palette brightens and distinguishes each space while providing students with a varied and exciting learning environment.

EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY The facility design is based on a combination of lab and lecture teaching structures to support the project-based learning concept.

The center is populated with both formal and informal meeting and project rooms. Ranging from the technology-rich project room to the cyber lounge, there are multiple conference and collaboration rooms throughout the facility. The small lecture auditorium seats 50 people and can accommodate distancelearning through smart-podium technologies. The traditional media center is re-envisioned as an information management center, an individual-centered learning environment where students have ready access to technology for individual research, on-line class study, or simply “down-time” between classes.

MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY Flexibility was a primary criterion from the outset of the project.

Some programs, such as culinary arts, are “fixed” in their needs.

However, most components, especially the technology programs of the CTEC will continue to evolve and the spaces are designed to accommodate the ever-changing nature of technology in curriculum.

Although only open for one year, several study areas have already moved to new disciplines. All classrooms are designed as aligned lab and lecture arrangements. Many classrooms are further sub-divided to provide a maximum flexibility for current and future programs.

Programs: Culinary Arts and Hospitality; Computer Programming; Scientific Visualization; Engineering Design (Project Lead-the-Way); SAS Computer Programming; Advanced Digital Media; Biomedical Technology; Health Sciences; Nursing Fundamentals; Video Production Studio; Automotive Technologies; NC Virtual Public High School courses (online environment) SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL CENTER, ALAMANCE-BURLINGTON SCHOOL SYSTEM The CTEC facility was designed and constructed in accordance with the LEED for Schools 2009 and is currently under certification review. Design features include energy-efficient mechanical system design and controls, reduced consumption water systems, bioretention areas to reduce storm-water runoff, heat-island reduction roofing just to mention a few. The facility is designed with life-cycle considerations for materials and systems incorporating stained concrete floors that require low maintenance, ground-face and painted CMU walls to minimize repairs and upkeep, and low VOC materials were required for all building materials. Spray-applied insulation is incorporated into the building technology to provide a complete air barrier design envelope. In combination with the HVAC dehumidification and contagion control, students enjoy a stimulating and high performance learning environment. The CTEC facility is designed to reflect the ABSS commitment to creating a comfortable, healthy and energy-efficient learning environment.

CIVIC PRESENCE Many sites were considered for the location of the facility.

Ultimately, the site in eastern Burlington was chosen as a commitment to the revitalization of the local community and economy. The facility was designed to convey the image of an educational facility infused with the typology of a contemporary office facility with a distinct presence on the site. The design offers an upscale, technology driven facility to invite and inspire students.

The consolidation of the career and technical education curriculum at the CTEC enables the school district to offer a high-end instructional opportunity to students. The center serves six high schools, where it is infeasible to construct such opportunities at every high school, by moving students to one central location the district opens up many programs to students across all schools.

The facility has no resident constituency as students come and go daily from their home high schools. Specific spaces were created to accommodate the transient nature of the student population, including the cyber café and lounge for students waiting for transportation or time between classes.

SUBTLE SECURITY The facility incorporates aluminum storefront and vision panels throughout the facility to accommodate both supervision and “window-shopping” by students to expose students to different programs and opportunities.

A small administrative area is conveniently located right at the main entry. The reception counter serves as the greeting station and information center for students and the latent function of supervision and student management. The facility is populated with flat-screen panels for information. The overall feeling of the facility is the infusion of technology integrated into the fabric of the design.

Career Center Winston-Salem/Forsyth Co. Schools develops a new approach for Advanced Placement and Career-Technical Education

Educational community The Career Center draws students from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ 14 traditional high schools to take Advanced Placement and career-and-technical education courses. As one goal is to mix students from different schools and different academic backgrounds to create one educational community, the design features a two-level, circular, central gathering space to facilitate dialogue between students from across the county. multi-functionality The school’s central gathering space also serves as a location for community meetings and social functions.

In the culinary arts classroom, students learn professional culinary skills throughout the school day, and it is used by the community outside of school hours.

The career-and-technical education classrooms provide a value for the district. By offering Career Center classes to students from across Forsyth County in one central location, these expensive classroom setups do not have to be replicated at each high school.

Learning Ambience Students enjoy the natural light provided by floor-to-ceiling windows throughout all learning spaces and common areas of the building.

Fresh air is delivered to each space throughout the building using energy recovery equipment.

The fresh air is conditioned before it enters the building, which maintains comfortable temperatures and produces high levels of indoor air quality.

Technology is part of every classroom, with tools such as interactive boards, sound amplification and document cameras.

Solar panels on the roof of the Career Center are used as a teaching tool in the alternative energies classroom, where students monitor power production and consumption.

The building design offers students view corridors that provide insights into history.

Teachers can point to nearby sites such as Goler AME Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke, when teaching the history of civil rights, or RJ Reynolds tobacco factories as a reference to our North Carolina heritage.

sustainable design The Career Center features a rooftop garden, which reduces the heat absorption of the building and reduces storm water runoff.

Energy efficiency is gained through the use of exterior sun shade elements.

The Career Center was built on the seventeen acre site of the existing Kennedy School.

Designers were able to further maximize the use of this urban site by locating a third school there as well - the new Carter High School for special needs students. Although the Kennedy Campus’ three high schools have differing programs and goals, the students share certain on-site amenities such as a central auditorium.

This shared use of resources provides a reduction in built material and minimizes the overall environmental impact.

subtle security The school’s placement on the site, and the internal location of building entrances, provide a secure campus environment for students while maintaining the school’s connection to the greater community.

Student common spaces, such as the media center, were placed on the second level of the school. Designers enhanced security in a significant but subtle way by elevating the media center’s position while maintaining a visual connection to its surroundings with floor-to-ceiling windows. civic presence The central location and high visibility of the Career Center make it easily accessible to the entire community.

As the Career Center was built on the same site as the Kennedy School, a community landmark, designers sought to build on the value that existed there. The successful build-out of the Kennedy Campus has made an existing icon an even more significant element of the community, and its modern facilities show a commitment to the importance of education.

GREENE COUNTY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY The school functions as a shared facility with the Greene County community. The playgrounds, multi-purpose room, and dining room are available for community functions. Each wing of the school also has a large teachers’ center that provides space for teacher collaboration.

The media center features tables and a soft seating area for student breakout sessions and small learning environments. A classroom was provided for the teachers to have continuing education classes adjacent to the media center.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN The design of the school aims to minimize their impact on the environment and community by reducing overall energy through the use of high efficiency chillers, energy recovery units, spray foam air barrier/insulation, and energy efficient lighting, which will result in an estimated 36 percent reduction in power usage, saving the county more than $39,000 per year. The school’s water savings of over 40 percent is achieved through dual-flush toilets, pint-flush urinals, and low-flow lavatories, an estimated $8,700 in additional annual savings. The use of local and regional building materials supported the local economy and reduced transportation impacts on the environment. High-efficiency HVAC filters, walk-off mats, and ventilated chemical storage areas further enhance indoor air quality.

MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY The multi-purpose room and dining room are divided by a large operable partition that can be retracted to provide a larger gathering space.

Therefore, the county currently does not have a large assembly space for performances or presentations. The adjacency of the platform to the multi-purpose room will allow these rooms to function as an assembly space for the community. In addition, the rotunda can be used for smaller gatherings by staff or students, and the media center furniture is on casters to provide flexibility in this core space.

GREENE COUNTY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

LEARNING AMBIENCE The color palette of neutral colors and muted tones contribute to a calming and timeless environment. The large windows in the classrooms provide natural light for the students and teachers. In addition, teachers can adjust the temperature in their classroom by a few degrees to meet their comfort needs. The corridor is lined with tack strips so that teachers can display student work outside of their classroom.

A large display case adjacent to the multi-purpose room is available to display school-wide awards and work.

CIVIC PRESENCE This facility is the county’s first new school in 20 years. A goal of the design was to give the community a school that the students, teachers, staff, and community could be proud of. General sustainable signage is provided in the school to educate the students on their building. The sustainability signage is displayed in a space that is open to the community during after-hours events. Not only will the school be a teaching tool to the students but may also educate the community on this new energy-efficient learning environment. Having not added a new school in 20 years, the design needed to appear timeless and classic.

SUBTLE SECURITY Upon entering the school, visitors are directed into the administrative suite by a set of vestibule security doors. This allows the administration to supervise who is entering the building at all times. All the exterior doors are also controlled by a fob system. This intellikey system allows the school system’s facility department to control who can enter which doors and at what times. Additionally, the rotunda provides the principal and staff to view each of the corridors containing the classroom wings.

SHARED-USE SUCCESS LAKEWOOD MONTESSORI MIDDLE SCHOOL | DURHAM, NC

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JOINT VENTURE / JOINT USE

TIME SHARE

ADAPTIVE RE-USE

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

PROGRAM ELEMENTS

A textbook example of a public/private partnership, this 71,000 square foot Lakewood Montessori Middle School and YMCA is a joint venture between Durham Public Schools and the YMCA of the Triangle.

The YMCA, which occupied the building prior to releasing it to the County, will take approximately 18,000 square feet with access to school spaces for use after school hours and in the summer.

Housed in the renovated shell of an original boys and girls club, the school will be one of the first Montessori based, secondary schools in the Southeast.

The project is seeking LEED NC Gold certification and incorporates sustainable elements such as building reuse, rainwater harvesting, day lighting, on site power generation and eco-friendly finishes.

Fitness, lockers and racquetball courts (for the YMCA); middle school classrooms, library, gymnasium, science labs and administration (for the school).

LAKEWOOD MONTESSORI MIDDLE SCHOOL | DURHAM, NC

Lucas Middle School

Durham Public Schools

DTW Architects & Planners Ltd. Learning Ambience Some studies have indicated that light-filled schools improve learning as evidenced by increased test scores. The main theories for why this is so suggest that daylight supports learning by increasing the mood and health of a building’s occupants. At Lucas, 90 percent of academic spaces have daylighting; there is also abundant natural light in the cafeteria, gymnasium and Cybrary. The Cybrary is one of many locations for accessing technology - there are also wired and wireless connections in all classrooms and other meeting areas, and a Dashboard, a building performance monitoring system, located in the main lobby. This facility is in the process of earning a LEED Gold rating, and its Dashboard provides a learning opportunity for students and staff to understand how much energy is used in the building.

Lucas Middle School Snow Hill Road Durham, NC Project Design Team:

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Completion Date: May 2012

DTW Architects & Planners, Ltd. GKC Associates Edmondson Engineers Coulter Jewell Thames Associates

Owner Contact: Mr. Hugh Osteen Durham Public Schools Phone: 919.560.3831 Hugh.Osteen@dpsnc.net

Mr. Tim Carr Durham Public Schools Phone: 919.560.2216 Tim.Carr@dpsnc.net

Educational Community An important aspect of modern learning environments is interactive and cooperative learning. Especially in the middle school setting, it is important to provide students opportunities to participate with teachers and other students in shared learning. Many such venues exist in Lucas Middle School: Team Project Rooms, a greenhouse for use in biotechnology, lounge areas in lobbies, soft seating in the Cybrary. The project rooms and Team Commons provide break-out spaces from adjacent classrooms, while affording teachers the ability to observe interactions.

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Lucas Middle School

Durham Public Schools

DTW Architects & Planners Ltd. Multi-Functionality Multi-functionality of spaces allows the school system to maximize the use of its facility: this is true both for spaces that can be used throughout the school day for different purposes, as well as for spaces that can be used by both school and community groups.

The Team Project Rooms provide spaces that are shared by several classrooms during the course of the day. The main lobby contains risers, useful for small performances, as well as a place to relax or study. Athletic facilities, auditorium/stage and Cybrary are each located such that they can be separated from the rest of the facility for use by the public after school hours.

Sustainable Design From its earliest sketches, Lucas Middle School was designed to realize sustainability goals. Targeting a Gold LEED certification attests to its achievement in minimizing the impact on the ecosystem, providing healthy and energy efficient environments, and minimizing long-term maintenance costs. Specifically, Lucas Middle School incorporates solar hot water in the kitchen and locker rooms; a large percentage of regional and recyclable materials; reflective roofs and efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems; and water-saving plumbing fixtures that provide a 40% savings in consumption.

Civic Presence This facility is accessed from two sides: the parent drop-off entry is a soaring two-story space that inspires all those who enter. The bus drop-off places students in a light-filled and friendly lobby.

Both provide a sense of joy in the learning environment. A distinct separate entrance to the auditorium allows its use by the public in an area of the county where such facilities are limited and is certain to become an important community hub.

Subtle Security An important security measure is a campus-wide attitude that deters threats: while cameras and keyless doors are a part of a school’s security arsenal, the understanding by staff and students that the school facility is valued and its inhabitants are aware will go a long way in deterring security threats. Lucas is designed for ease in supervision with extensive use of glass and the ability of administrators to close off sections of the building when not in use.

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Bertie County, NC

New Bertie High School

The Bertie County Commission and the Bertie Board of Education charged Hite Associates to design a first quality, state of the art high school for 900 students that was not only energy efficient, but cost effective both to build and maintain. The design of the new Bertie High School was to project a civic presence on a prominent site, and lend itself to various community uses.

Bertie High is actually three buildings joined together – the central academic core, the athletic building, and the auditorium / music / cafeteria. Each has its own entrance, lobby, restroom facilities and parking for separate and independent use, and each can easily be locked off from the academic core. Simultaneous events can be held without co-mingling of spectators. The orientation of each of the three sections, towards the main thoroughfare out front, will create an image of importance and sense of pride for all Bertie County citizens. Bertie High School says “education is important here”.

Hite Associates’ design for Bertie utilizes a “cross” plan in a one story configuration, with regular and specialized classrooms interspersed to encourage an integrated curriculum. The plan is flexible to accommodate both grade separation and academy set-ups, as well as team teaching. Vocational spaces are located in non-traditional areas, with additional room for growth of these or other programs at the end of the academic core. The building itself is flexible – most interior walls are non-structural for future removal as individual space requirements change, owing to the steel frame design.

The competition gym seats over 1,000, and the auditorium seats over 500. Student work and awards receive special recognition in four large, walk-in showcase windows located inside each of the three main entrances of each building section.

Technology, security, and student safety were design drivers for the project. Both main corridors of the school can be monitored from a central point, and continuous reinforced concrete platforms are constructed above all hallways. The primary function of the platforms is to house all of the building utility systems, including technology, but a secondary feature of the platforms is to create a safe area, in the hallways, for students during weather emergencies. The platforms provide the ideal built-in infrastructure not only to maintain, service, and modify the learning technology systems of the school, but to give the school the ability to remain state-of-the-art throughout its life.

Hite associates K-12 Architects and Engineers

www.hiteassoc.com

TM

“The Unitary Systems Approach”

Bertie County, NC

New Bertie High School

Floor Plan

Energy efficiency is achieved through various design strategies, from high performance insulation and glazing systems, to solar control with continuous wide roof overhangs, to high efficiency HVAC and lighting systems. Environmental control of individual spaces is simplified with individual HVAC units served by a central boiler / chiller. Humidity control is simple as well, with all units configured in reheat mode to operate as needed at any time. Compared to larger, more complex built-up HVAC units or geothermal designs, this system not only has a lower first cost to construct, but a lower cost to maintain and control as well. The expansive overhead platform system allows space for all building utility systems without taking up valuable floor area below.

There are many sustainable initiatives embodied in the design of the new Bertie High School, not the least of which is rarely discussed – embedded energy cost. The embedded energy cost is the amount of energy it takes to produce something. The cost of a school is a direct reflection of EEC. The new Bertie High School, designed for 900 students, is being constructed for LESS than $20,000,000, owing to efficiencies in design, structure and configuration.

Continuous Utility Platform

Hite associates K-12 Architects and Engineers

www.hiteassoc.com

TM

“The Unitary Systems Approach”

A 21ST CENTURY SCHOOL NEWTON CONOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL | NEWTON, NC

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ADAPTIVE DESIGN

COST SAVINGS

PHILOSOPHY

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

21ST CENTURY SCHOOL

The Newton-Conover City School System needed a new middle school that would better serve its needs and those of its students. Utilizing a previously purchased, 30 acre site, it was necessary that the new school accommodate a challenging site with a slope of 80 feet from front to back. The design team knew that a multistory building was the solution.

Even with additions such as the LEED Platinum certification, 135 KW photovoltaic array, three additional classrooms, four tennis courts and a Photovoltaic Array, the project remained approximately $1.4 million under budget.

Understanding the client’s unique needs, the design team immediately knew that a mulit-story, state of the art facility was the appropriate solution. Thus, the three story building was designed to meet the 950 potential students at Newton Conover .

This LEED Platinum project embraced sustainability every step of the way. From a 48% reduction in water use to low emitting materials and on-site renewable energy, every detail was carefully thought throught through with the highest regard for sustainable principles.

A careful evaluation of all the systems and a collaborative process among all the consultants yielded a design that highlights the quintessential red-brick essence of North Carolina schools, yet performs like a 21st century building should.

LEED PLATINUM For more information about Newton Conover Middle School and its sustainable site, architecture and system strategies, visit: WWW.LITTLEONLINE.COM/NEWTON_CONOVER_MIDDLE

NEWTON CONOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL | NEWTON, NC

LEARNING HAPPENS EVERYWHERE PILOT MOUNTAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL | DOBSON, NC

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

SPACE OPTIMIZATION

COST SAVINGS

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

PHILOSOPHY

The planning for this project included community members, school board members, teachers, principals, parents, board of education members and county commissioners in a collaborative visioning process. The project serves both as an educational environment and a community center. The success of the project has sparked the construction of multiple sidewalks leading to the facility and its athletic fields. It has also sparked a request for a new bridge over the main highway to connect the school to the main street of Pilot Mountain.

One of the major goals of the project became the need for the Town of Pilot Mountain to have a performance space that could accommodate up to 1200 people. The innovative and compact design allowed for the reduction of the least usable space (circulation) in lieu of what was truly needed: community assembly space for events, plays, performances.

Another major goal, and big challenge, was the inclusion of 4 practice fields to be used by students and community alike.

Given the tight budget, multiple studies were carried with SITE-OPS technology to find the optimal use of the steep site.

The design provides a wonderful solution that will help the whole community while saving $500,000 from the original site plan.

Sustainability and continuity of concept informed the selection of all interior materials. Concepts of erosion and strata are carried through to flooring, walls, ceilings and fixtures. The building is sited to maximize day-lighting strategies while minimizing heat gain. High-albedo roofing materials, operable windows to facilitate natural ventilation, shading devices, local materials, and native landscaping highlight some of the exterior sustainable strategies.

A philosophy of “learning happens everywhere� informs a shift in the main circulation spine of the building allowing for the creation of both interior and exterior dynamic and informal learning areas. Classrooms are enhanced by an abundance of daylight.

By playing with topography, we allowed for a stage to be included at one side of the gymnasium, about 12 feet below the cafeteria space while under the same roof. The drop in elevation allows for bleachers with 850 seating capacity.

LOWER FLOOR PLAN

MAIN FLOOR PLAN

PILOT MOUNTAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL | DOBSON, NC

UPPER FLOOR PLAN

Sandy Ridge Elementary School

Durham Public Schools

DTW Architects & Planners Ltd. Learning Ambience Light-filled schools have been shown to improve learning.

Sandy Ridge is oriented to gain the best angle of the sun for daylighting. Its corridors are light-filled with extended stretches of windows, and various building systems – water, heating, electrical – are painted different colors so students realize how their building operates. This learning is also supported by a Dashboard, a building performance monitoring system, that is located near the facility’s Common Area.

Teachers use corridors and classrooms for display of student projects. Pathways and trails on the site traverse near old barn foundations that show how the land was used before the school was built and now hold raised beds with native flora. The exterior of the building includes geometric forms, cheerful graphics and sunshades that enhance the facility’s educational presence.

Sandy Ridge Elementary School Old Oxford Highway & Hebron Road Durham, NC Completion Date: August 2011 Project Design Team:

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DTW Architects & Planners, Ltd. Neville Engineering Edmondson Engineers Coulter Jewell Thames Associates

Owner Contact: Mr. Hugh Osteen Durham Public Schools Phone: 919.560.3831 Hugh.Osteen@dpsnc.net

Mr. Tim Carr Durham Public Schools Phone: 919.560.2216 Tim.Carr@dpsnc.net

Educational Community Even at the elementary level, children need spaces to learn how to collaborate with their peers. Classrooms are organized for various learning activities including individual and shared discovering. At the Commons, located near the cafeteria, students can play on a built-in-place fire truck.

The Media Center provides a range of seating options for varied learning approaches.

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Sandy Ridge Elementary School

Durham Public Schools

DTW Architects & Planners Ltd. Multi-Functionality Multi-functionality of spaces allows the school system to maximize the use of its facility. The gymnasium is a good example of a multi-functioning space: it is connected to the cafeteria with two enormous garage doors that allow either space to be expanded as required. In addition, the gym houses a stage on one side so the space can be used for both physical and drama/music activities.

Sustainable Design Sandy Ridge recently attained a Gold LEED certification, which attests to its achievement in minimizing its impact on the ecosystem, providing healthy and energy efficient environments, and minimizing long-term maintenance costs.

Specifically, this facility incorporates a large percentage of regional and recyclable materials; reflective roofs and efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems; and water-saving plumbing fixtures.

Civic Presence Sandy Ridge Elementary is prized by its student, staff and parents as a school that emphasizes the importance of the educational mission, while providing a joyful atmosphere for learning. It is a pleasure to walk its light-filled corridors of bright colors.

Subtle Security Sandy Ridge is designed with extensive use of glass; its administrative offices are situated to allow visual control of the building; and portions of the building can be locked down separately so the public can access certain areas after the school day.

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NEW PROTOTYPE DESIGN WEST APEX HIGH SCHOOL | APEX, NC

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SCOPE

STRATEGIC DESIGN

JOINT USE

MODERN MEDIA CENTER

CENTRALIZED INSTRUCTION

This new high school prototype, with a four-story academic classroom tower, will accommodate 2,223 students on a 112-acre site.

The main entry to the school is flanked by the administration wing to the north and community functions to the south (including a competition gymnasium and 850 seat auditorium). The administration wing is entered off of the main entry, which allows the administration to control entry into the school during non-peak hours. A wide concourse east of the admin area provides a student commons area.

The building has been designed to allow after hours community access to the auditorium and gymnasium while restricting access to the rest of the building.

The Media Center is located above the administration, and provides northern light into the stack and reading areas.

Separate technology based instruction areas are broken out of the space, allowing areas for research, group projects, and quiet study.

The four story classroom wing contains the general classroom and technical areas, as well as the arts and sciences programs. A pair of central core stair towers and an elevator provide circulation to the upper floors. Teacher work areas are assigned on each floor.

WEST APEX HIGH SCHOOL | APEX, NC

WILBURN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY The large media center provides students with several separate gathering spaces. The multi-purpose room and dining room are divided by a large operable partition that can be retracted to provide a larger gathering space.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN The new two-story classroom wing is oriented on a North/South axis with an abundance of windows to maximize sun exposure. The school also features low flow fixtures and waterless urinals to reduce water consumption. Also, the project required that ten percent recycled material and ten percent regional materials be used. Fifty percent of construction waste was diverted and recycled.

MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY The design included four general education classrooms equipped with folding partitions to allow for flexibility in those spaces. Each can be separated into eight smaller classrooms for break-out sessions or remain as four larger classrooms. The operable partition between the multi-purpose room and dining space allows for a larger space to be created for community gatherings.

WILBURN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LEARNING AMBIENCE Each classroom and office has individual temperature control for optimal thermal comfort. The large windows in the classrooms provide natural light for the students and teachers. In addition, teachers can adjust the temperature in their classroom to meet their comfort needs.

The corridor is lined with tack strips so that teachers can display student work outside of their classroom. A large display case is adjacent to the multi-purpose room to display school-wide awards and work.

CIVIC PRESENCE The design of the facility includes a ceremonial two-story east entrance to define a prominent front door entry, while maintaining proportions, textures, and colors suitable to the vernacular of the surrounding residential communities. Large expanses of glass evoke a traditional and formal feel to the facility.

SUBTLE SECURITY Upon entering the school, visitors are directed into the administrative suite by a set of vestibule security doors. This allows the administration to supervise who is entering the building at all times. Windowed doors and sidelights to all classrooms allow for supervision by staff from outside of the classroom. All of the exterior doors are also controlled by a fob system.

2012 NCSBA

Award for Excellence in Architectural Design Competition

About the Award The NCSBA Board of Directors established the Award for Excellence in Architectural Design as an educational tool for board members to use to enhance their knowledge of school design and its affect on student achievement. Participants of the 2012 NCSBA Annual Conference will vote on their favorite design. The winning firm will receive recognition and award during the Third General Session Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 13.