In August, SHP, an architecture, design, and engineering firm, broke ground on the new Peck Expeditionary Learning School in Greensboro, N.C.
Replacing the current Clara J. Peck Neighborhood K-5 Elementary, the Peck Expeditionary Learning School will be the district’s first building to adopt the K-8 model. Expeditionary Learning (EL) centers the curriculum around multidisciplinary learning expeditions that can take an entire semester for small or large groups to complete. Instead of revolving around classroom-based instruction, the learning expeditions encourage students to engage in interactive, iterative learning in their own communities.
The new school will house five learning communities that bring together similar grade levels, so students can collaborate with their own age groups. Each learning community will include spaces for student project displays, hands-on learning, and community engagement. Flexible classrooms will facilitate multiple instruction methods, while decompression spaces will help students cope with emotional challenges. Instead of a traditional cafeteria, a distributed dining system will bring meals to the students where they are.
“Following the feedback we heard from students, staff, and the community, we aimed to create a high-quality, student-focused environment capable of fostering an entire generation of lifelong learners,” David Powell, SHP architect and senior project manager, said in a statement.
In recent years, SHP has completed several other school projects designed for progressive pedagogies, such as the lower and upper school campuses at Winton Woods City Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio—one of the country’s first school district-wide redesigns to support Project-Based Learning (PBL).
On the Building Team:
Owner: Guilford County Schools
Design architect: SHP
Architect of record: SHP
MEP engineer: SAMR
Structural engineer: Lynch-Mykins
Construction manager at risk, joint venture: Christman/D.A. Everett
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jul 28, 2015
OMA designs terraced sports center for UK's Brighton College
Designs for what will be the biggest construction project in the school’s 170-year history feature a rectangular building at the edge of the school’s playing field. A running track is planned for the building’s roof, while sports facilities will be kept underneath.
University Buildings | Jul 21, 2015
Maker spaces: Designing places to test, break, and rebuild
Gensler's Kenneth Fisher and Keller Roughton highlight recent maker space projects at MIT and the University of Nebraska that provide just the right mix of equipment, tools, spaces, and disciplines to spark innovation.
Education Facilities | Jul 14, 2015
Chile selects architects for Subantarctic research center
Promoting ecological tourism is one of this facility’s goals
Museums | Jun 28, 2015
Manhattan's New Museum debuts first museum-led incubator space
Part studio, part shared workplace, part lab, and part professional development program, NEW INC connects design with technology, the arts with the market, students with seasoned practitioners, and the museum with the world.
Codes and Standards | Jun 18, 2015
New document addresses school safety and security
In an effort to balance security and fire safety features within codes, standards and planning, NFPA hosted a two-day workshop, “School Safety, Codes and Security”, last December. The findings are now available in an NFPA report.
BIM and Information Technology | May 27, 2015
4 projects honored with AIA TAP Innovation Awards for excellence in BIM and project delivery
Morphosis Architects' Emerson College building in Los Angeles and the University of Delaware’s ISE Lab are among the projects honored by AIA for their use of BIM/VDC tools.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
Special Report: How your firm can help struggling colleges and universities meet their building project goals
Building Teams that want to succeed in the higher education market have to help their clients find new funding sources, control costs, and provide the maximum value for every dollar.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
Renovate or build new: How to resolve the eternal question
With capital budgets strained, renovation may be an increasingly attractive money-saving option for many college and universities.
University Buildings | May 19, 2015
KU Jayhawks take a gander at a P3 development
The P3 concept is getting a tryout at the University of Kansas, where state funding for construction has fallen from 20% of project costs to about 11% over the last 10 years.
Cultural Facilities | May 15, 2015
Design for beekeeping facility in Tanzania by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects unveiled
The developers say the center will be an important educational and vocational tool.
