Optimized Workspaces for School Systems

OPTIMIZED WORKSPACES FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS

Executive Summary

District leaders were motivated to bring their team together, understanding that it is hard to build a strong culture of success when people are scattered and siloed. By focusing on where and how people do their best work, and by delivering renovated and refreshed spaces that support that work, team members have gained a brighter and more comfortable work environment that promotes collaboration and connection; teachers and students in the district’s schools benefit from the administration’s renewed culture of excellence and empowerment; and the community reaps the rewards not only of a strong public education system but also of an innovative approach to energy efficiency and cost savings.

When an Indianapolis-area school district invested in modernizing its 40-year-old administration building, the staff, school system and whole community benefited from the improvements.

PRACTICE K12 EDUCATION

CLIENT METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT (MSD) OF WAYNE TOWNSHIP EDUCATION CENTER

SIZE 19,000 SF

BUDGET $4M COMPLETED 2022

Challenge / Situation

Like many other school districts in the United States, the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Wayne Township, on the west side of Indianapolis, had been facing staff and teacher retention issues and budget constraints. The 80-person administration team was further challenged by a highly inefficient, aging workplace. Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts and his executive team were motivated to nurture a culture

of openness and collaboration that would help them overcome some of their challenges, yet their physical space was not serving them. They understood that investing in healthy environments would be critical to success but were also cautious of the public perception of investing in non-learning spaces.

BEFORE IMAGES

The building was well maintained, its layout was very siloed. Departments felt isolated and disconnected, which negatively affected culture and collaboration. Dull colors, harsh lighting, and a lack of natural light and ‘biophilic’ elements impacted the sense of wellness.

The MSD’s Education Center still needed attention. An inefficient layout meant there was wasted space: too few offices for the full administrative team and inadequate storage. Team members were distributed across different sections of the building, and there were few places for them to come together. Tall, outdated partition walls were like barriers blocking visual connections and creating dark corridors, yet

were not effective at controlling sound, so privacy was a challenge. Security, too, was a factor, as was accessibility. Staff would consistently use the building’s service and delivery entrance in order to avoid an awkward public entrance. And once inside, insufficient meeting and gathering spaces meant team members were missing opportunities to connect and engage.

Goals / Purpose

Dr. Butts and the executive team, including Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations Barry Gardner and since-retired Chief Technology Officer Pete Just, had a vision for the Admin team to become more transparent and accessible to the public, internally connected, and collaborative in order to better serve the MSD Wayne Township community of teachers, students and families. They were 15 years into the district’s 25-year plan, and now that key investments had been made in strengthening the schools themselves, it was time to look inward. They recognized that their administrative team’s culture could shape the workspaces within the Education Center, and that ultimately a renewed space would strengthen that culture through changed behaviors.

Together the leaders looked closely at how they wanted to operate – at how they wanted to function as an organization, today and in the future. They clarified roles, responsibilities and titles as a first step in considering how teams could work together

most effectively and efficiently. They conducted a needs analysis, asking questions multiple times and actively listening to understand the administration team’s and the broader district’s real needs. Then they considered new ways to utilize the Education Center’s space based on those needs rather than simply trying to fit within what had existed for decades. They wanted team members to feel empowered with a sense of control over the environment, rather than let the environment dictate the way work would be done

Reimaging higher levels of internal team synergies and cross-department collaborations meant blowing out 75% of the existing walls and reconfiguring the floor plan in a way that strategically connected groups and nurtured open collaboration.

Solutions / Design Approach

Culture Design for Collaboration & Openness

This clear vision, strong culture and thoughtful analysis of the district’s needs drove the planning for a renovated Education Center. The design is focused on the greater good of the team and the district. Inefficient, wasted space has been reconfigured to create better-shared spaces, such as conference rooms for planned meetings and collaboration zones for spontaneous conversations. The hallways are brighter, with widened corners and open intersections that encourage people to pause and connect, as well as interior windows and glass doors that allow natural light to flow through each space. A bright and centrally located kitchen and dining space gets people up from their desks to socialize. Enclosed spaces now feature solid walls, not partitions, with improved sound control as well as power and data.

Individual offices provide a balance of privacy and transparency with frosted glass and flexible furniture, specified by Indianapolis-based Business Furniture, a Steelcase distributor and key collaborator on the project. The Superintendent’s office features lounge furniture to represent approachability over formality. Where open workstations are employed, they’re more comfortable and inviting, including drop-down panels that ease connection with colleagues. And while some might consider that their personal office space has been reduced, especially at the senior level, each individual gains from the overall improvements to the building as a whole and from the ability they now have to choose where and how they work best.

Solutions / Design Approach

Efficiency

Multiply the Space Without Expanding the Building

Prioritizing team connectivity and proximity meant ensuring that MSD Wayne Township’s full administrative team could have dedicated space within the renovated Education Center. But since the building was not being expanded – in fact, the exterior of the building wasn’t touched – it was imperative that the new interior spaces were designed as efficiently as possible in order to accommodate the full team. The first step was grouping teams together according to the newand-improved organizational chart and ensuring workplace proximity so that each team could work together to serve the district and its teachers and students more effectively. For example, the human resources, special education, and executive teams each now have dedicated sections on the first floor, and the business team occupies the second floor.

To enable this reorganization, unused and unnecessary spaces such as a large workroom full of defunct office machines, a redundant hallway and showers in the restrooms had been easily sacrificed. Large and inefficient conference rooms were similarly converted into a collection of numerous smaller meeting rooms, which are especially effective for parent conferences or other small group conversations that require privacy. Some individual offices, including the Superintendent’s, were made smaller in order to create more offices as well as more effective shared spaces; everyone with a parallel role on the org chart was intentionally allocated the same square footage. But furnishings such as height adjustable desks, monitor arms, rolling cabinets and

carts, and improved individual storage were carefully selected to make up for any perceived loss. And sliding glass doors are featured in many offices in order to occupy as small a footprint as possible.

Storage was also simplified in order to optimize its effectiveness. The team went through the strategic process of evaluating their storage needs, from shortterm necessities that can be kept in personal spaces or in onsite closets, to long-term items that can be stored in an offsite warehouse. That differentiation enabled decisions to be made about how the Education Center’s mail room, storage rooms and individual workstations could be better organized. Clarifying and cleaning up have also created a more effective space for mail and deliveries to be received and processed securely, for supplies to be stored, and for staff to enter and exit the building separately from the public, as they prefer.

The final design included extensive storefront glazing at collaboration spaces and workstations to increase the sense of transparency and access. Numerous breakout meeting areas and spaces for impromptu interactions were developed to foster interdepartmental discussion. Wherever possible, views to the exterior were maintained to draw natural light deep into the building.

Solutions / Design Approach

Security & Privacy

Honor the Personal Nature of Education

When members of the community visit the Education Center, in many cases it’s related to employment, student registration, or parent concerns; and in every case, it’s personal, so privacy and security matter. In its original configuration, the lobby placed the receptionist in an isolated and exposed vestibule. The renovation has enhanced security that not only ensures the receptionist is protected, but also connects her workstation to the adjacent HR suite, so she no longer feels alone. Access beyond the receptionist is now controlled by RFID cards as well.

Further inside, the public vestibule now features more comfortable furnishings for guests who are waiting for meetings, or for community members who might be filling out paperwork. And while the refreshed interior spaces feel more open and accessible, frosted glass on individual offices and conference rooms helps with both confidentiality and productivity, and gives parents and other guests a sense of dignity when personal matters need to be discussed. Even meeting tables are intentionally shaped like trapezoids to eliminate hierarchy and ensure everyone at the table has a dignified, equitable view and personal eye-toeye level contact.

Sustainability & Wellness

Build Long-Term Resilience for People & Planet

The use of interior windows and glass doors creates a natural balance of openness and privacy that contributes to a healthier workplace. Previously, the hallways and other interior spaces were dark, but today they’re much brighter with natural light flowing through. Even enclosed private offices feature 18”wide sidelight windows next to each door to enhance visibility and natural illumination. Energy efficient LED lights and proximity sensors are also employed in conference rooms and offices. And a wellness suite has been added as a staff amenity, giving team members a private space that can be reserved in advance for quiet respite and relaxation.

The renovated Education Center is powered by solar energy, through solar arrays installed in the adjacent parking lot, saving millions of dollars in electric bills and redirecting funds to MSD Wayne Township’s schools. Increases in energy costs mean more substantial savings, too. In fact, a referendum that had passed new education expenses onto district taxpayers in 2015 was completely eliminated in 2023 based on the results of these energy conservation measures, and the school-related tax rate was reduced by 11%. The district plans to continue to communicate the value of energy savings passed onto the local community by publishing live data on digital signage and a website dashboard.

Meeting Rooms and breakout spaces were dispersed throughout the floor plan, and different types and sizes of spaces were developed to accommodate various needs. In selecting furniture, a deliberate approach was made to provide various types of seating and tables to offer user choice and a sense of ownership. Interior finishes throughout build on the clear MSD Wayne Township brand, while connecting to nature through a biophilic approach. Technology and electrical receptacles were integrated throughout for easy, intuitive access.

Solutions / Design Approach

Plan for Functionality Today and in the Future Community

Flexibility

Digital technology is integrated throughout the renovated Education Center to improve its efficiency. Every conference room has mobile-ready technology built in, along with white boards, sound deafening walls, and small refrigerators and counters for refreshments and supplies. There is a variety of meeting and collaboration spaces, plus flexible office space for itinerant staff, all managed and monitored by software, through which team members can reserve spaces in advance. Individual workstations also feature adjustable high-low furniture and mobile file cabinets with seating, and breakout spaces have a variety of furnishings as well. Because the furniture selected is modular, mobile and part of a cohesive, coordinated system, components can be adjusted and/or rearranged. This not only ensures that each space is used most effectively today, but it also sets the Education Center up for long-term success by easing adaptation economically as trends shift toward even greater staff mobility and agile work

Strengthen the Team to Serve the District

The Education Center’s renovation had been thoughtfully considered and planned over a number of years, and the decision makers were conscientious of the public perception and, therefore, strategic about investing in the district’s schools and other significant facilities before this one. The decision to prioritize modernization of the building’s interior and leave the exterior untouched was also intentional, as was the investment in solar power and other energyand cost-saving measures, underscoring the district’s frugal mindset and respectful stewardship of public resources.

As the administration gets settled in its new workplace home, the Education Center will eventually become a proper showcase for the 60-year-old Metropolitan School District’s legacy. Student art will be exhibited in rotating installations. Conference rooms, named after former MSD Wayne Township schools, will display artifacts honoring that history. And students will frequently be invited to participate in various programs. For example, students recently competed for the opportunity to design the administration building’s new wellness suite, and the selected design will soon be implemented.

Change Management Communicate with Clarity

Key to the renovation’s success was the executive team’s motivation to be transparent with the administration team and others who were affected by the change. Engaging the full team in the early needs analysis and asking for input also positioned the project for success. The Superintendent then communicated the overall project vision with confidence and clarity – and with some repetition –while follow-up communications emphasized logistics and details of the implementation plan. Renderings were also provided to help the staff visualize what their new spaces would look like, and people started to recognize that change could be good. When construction began in 2019, everything started to fall into place because the team had planned so strategically. Ironically, the 2020 pandemic offered one small benefit, too: construction could continue with little disruption to the administration’s workflow, since team members unexpectedly worked from home that year.

Building security was greatly enhanced at the main entry through security glazing and ‘layers’ of electrified door hardware, and strategicallylocated frost film at interior storefronts. These security measures were handled in a way that still maintains a welcoming, accessible appearance. The heart of the building includes a skylit atrium space that was maintained and upgraded to enhance school branding and improve acoustics.

RATIO

Results

Their new workspace is lighter and more open, with an airy and joyful feeling. It communicates pride and creates a healthy vibe of community, confidence and excellence. The office is more open and accessible to the community, and the connections between team members and executives are more inviting and transparent too. The new efficient layout succeeds in fostering spontaneous interactions and more meaningful relationships, as the quality of interactions has improved thanks to a friendlier and more positive atmosphere.

MSD Wayne Township has a reputation for innovation and for its warm and welcoming culture. That reputation has shaped the Education Center’s new and improved space. And the space now strengthens the culture, setting the district up for many more decades of success.

The results of MSD Wayne Township’s Education Center renovation have been “better than we ever could have expected,” according to members of the administration’s team.

Fiscal responsiveness and stewardship of resources was a dominant priority throughout the entire renovation of the Administration Building. One of the strategic ways this was implemented was by installing solar panels over parking spaces within the Admin Bldg public parking lot. The long-term financial savings to the district are significant, with added benefits of teachable moments and environmental stewardship for district students.

2022 2023

11.1% school rate reduction from 2022 to 2023

Get in Touch with Us

Mark Beebe

AIA, RID, LEED AP, NCARB ARCHITECT

MBeebe@RatioDesign.com

Brian Proctor

EDUCATION PLANNING DIRECTOR

BProctor@RatioDesign.com

LEADERSHIP

Mark’s background in training under nationallyrecognized designers has helped him develop a keen eye for design and detail. At the same time, Mark never loses sight of the fact that each project is a unique embodiment of the client’s program and priority. As such, he prides himself on being a great listener and being responsive to the client’s needs and program.

EDUCATION & REGISTRATION

Bachelor of Architecture / Ball State University

Bachelors of Science, Environmental Deisng / Ball State University

Registered Architect: IN

Registered Interior Designer: IN

LEED Accredited Professional

LEADERSHIP

Brian is a highly effective and energizing leader with 24 years of experience in the education field as a teacher and administrator. He has served as a building level administrator for 17 years specializing in strategic planning, organizational development, school culture and climate, and design thinking. Brian is results driven and solutions oriented with a proven track record of collaboratively working with all team members to achieve goals.

EDUCATION & REGISTRATION

Principal Licensure Program / Indiana Wesleyan University

Master of Science, Elementary Education / Indiana Wesleyan University

Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education / Indiana University-Bloomington

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About RATIO

RATIO is an award-winning design firm with studios in Indianapolis, Champaign, Raleigh, Chicago and Denver, offering services in architecture, preservation, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design, and graphic design. Founded in 1982, its collaborative studios combine professionals from all architectural disciplines to work on higher education, community, life science, workplace, lifestyle and cultural projects.

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