Maclay School, a Tallahassee-based college preparatory school, has unveiled three new student labs made from refurbished shipping containers. The three labs, combined with a shared courtyard and gardens designed to foster collaboration, are collectively known as the Beck Family Research Center (BFRC).
Each lab will house a different focus: Biomedical and Student Research; Art, Inspiration, and Design; and Computer Science, Robotics, and Engineering. The containers were constructed off-site and shipped to the school. The labs include similar resources to those offered by research universities such as technology, active learning furnishings, and hands-on equipment. The furniture in all three labs is flexible and mobile to help create student-centered instruction and easy collaboration.
See Also: ASU Health Futures Center combines a novel design and approach to learning
An outdoor garden features raised beds that can double as seating. The beds contain plants that were selected for their potential to be used in lesson plans across all grade levels. The garden also includes a Solar SmartFlower. The SmartFlower uses solar panels arranged like flower petals to track the sun’s position throughout the day. When bad weather rolls in or the sun goes down, the “petals” retract, opening again when the sun comes out. The SmartFlower provides data for students to monitor and study on campus as part of the curricululm.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Feb 26, 2020
School districts in California are stepping in to provide affordable housing for faculty and staff
One high school district in Daly City has broken ground on 122-apartment building.
Architects | Feb 24, 2020
Design for educational equity
Can architecture not only shape lives, but contribute to a more equitable and just society for marginalized people?
Education Facilities | Dec 5, 2019
A new Atlanta-area STEM magnet school will feature a flexible modular design
The design firm Cooper Carry combined three of its practice studios to collaborate on this project.
Education Facilities | Nov 18, 2019
The modernization of a Portland, Ore., school addresses societal concerns
Bullying, unintended segregation, privacy, and gender neutrality all factored into the redesign and upgrading of Grant High School.
Education Facilities | Oct 31, 2019
South-West Middle School welcomes its first students
Ai3 Architects designed the project.
Education Facilities | Oct 29, 2019
Virginia is home to Bjarke Ingels’ first U.S. public school
The school encourages indoor-outdoor learning.
Education Facilities | Oct 21, 2019
New Hildreth Elementary School will feature a dedicated STEM center
The project is slated for completion in 2021.
Education Facilities | Sep 24, 2019
A fresh start: upgrades and expansions mark new school year
Projects typically emphasize natural light, collaborative spaces, and resource efficiency.
Giants 400 | Sep 4, 2019
Top 90 K-12 School Sector Construction Firms for 2019
Gilbane, Balfour Beatty, Turner, CORE Construction, and Skanska lead the rankings of the nation's largest K-12 school sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 3, 2019
Top 140 K-12 School Sector Architecture Firms for 2019
DLR Group, PBK, Huckabee, Stantec, and VLK Architects top the rankings of the nation's largest K-12 school sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.