LEmarketplace Sessions - Speed Sessions

ABSTRACT: 

MINI SESSION 1:  Together We Rise: Turning Tragedy into Triumph at Minnehaha Academy

On August 2, 2017, a natural gas explosion destroyed the upper campus of Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The blast, which occurred at the heart of the school, claimed the lives of two of its long-standing employees, injured many others and destroyed its two academic wings that stood as icons of the community for over 100 years. When the Design and Construction Team was hired to get the students back “home” for the 2019 school year, they knew they had to delicately navigate a fast-tracked design timeline that would not only lead to a new school, but to the healing of a deeply-wounded community. Beginning construction just six months after being hired, the Design and Construction Team successfully completed the project using a “Together We Rise” mentality. By collaborating with everyone from students to alumni to community members, the Team was able to help Minnehaha Academy turn tragedy into triumph. Hear from the President of Minnehaha Academy, Donna Harris, a survivor of the explosion, along with members of the Design and Construction Team on the extraordinary collaborative approach they used to successfully navigate these challenges to co-create an environment that will propel learning at Minnehaha for the next 100 years!  SPEAKERS: Judy Hoskens, REFP; Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc./Donna Harris, Ed. D.’;Minnehaha Academy/ Kendall Griffith, Vice President;  Mortenson Construction

MINI SESSION 2: Building Trust: Mindfulness and Movement

Last year (in our presentation Growth Mindset Incubators: A Case Study) we transported you into a unique learning environment where the possibilities were endless and explored how the Growth Mindset curriculum has enhanced both the learning and the physical space at the Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas (BFI) in Seattle, WA. This year we take a deeper dive into two areas that are key in creating successful Learning Environments: Mindfulness and Movement. These subsets of Social Emotional Learning impact the development of the whole child. Faith Eakin, lead program manager at BFI, will share how she has incorporated ideas learned from her exposure to educational design and A4LE into BFI’s learning environment. Liz Katz, architect and planner at NAC, will follow up on how this long-term collaboration has impacted her own approach to design and community engagement, and influenced NAC’s projects as well as their work environment. The concept of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is widely used in education among teachers and students, and is consistently being improved and applied in both educational theory and practice. The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas (BFI), an educational non-profit in Seattle, fosters an environment that gives students the confidence to be kind, creative and fearless. They are also striving to create a safe environment outside of school that builds trust through mindfulness and movement. Liz and Faith will guide the audience on an active reflection of their own learning and mindsets. You’ll be moving, talking and co-creating an experience similar to learning environments that promote SEL. You’ll also participate in thoughtful, engaging activities that promote mindfulness and movement. SPEAKERS: Liz Katz, AIA; NAC Architecture/Faith Eakin;Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas

MINI SESSION 3:  Post-Occupancy Results from Students and Teachers on the Saskatchewan Joint-use School Bundles

The Saskatchewan Joint-use School Bundles presented a unique opportunity to receive feedback from students and teachers on the daily use of new educational facility designs across multiple sites. The representatives of two school divisions and team lead for the conceptual designs will present the findings of post-occupancy reviews collected after one school year in action from over 150 teachers and 500 students ranging in ages seven through 13. The Saskatchewan Joint-use School Bundles included the design and construction of 18 schools on nine sites, across four municipalities with five school divisions and two provincial government ministries. Each site accommodates two Pre K to grade 8 schools, one public and one Catholic, a shared central space containing gymnasia, multi purpose rooms, a 90-seat child care centre and community resource centre. The learning environments include classrooms which open onto a variety of break out spaces including small meeting rooms, learning commons, art and science studios and presentation stairs. Each school division utilized a slightly different approach to learning environment flexibility based on the specific educational pedagogy of the division. This presentation is a follow up to the CEFPI 2014 workshop entitled ‘Empowering Educational Transformation with Lean’ in which the tools utilized to gain direct input from front-line educators, curriculum experts, facility representatives and students were shared with workshop participants. Those participants asked for a follow-up session upon completion, so here it is with data, photos and stories.  SPEAKERS: Laura Plosz, SAA, AAA, MAA, OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP; Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd./Dan Van Buekenhout, ALEP, Dip Civil Eng.;Regina Public Schools/ Ryan Martin, Manager of Facilities and Capital Projects; Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools

MINI SESSION 4: Architects and Designers can have a greater impact on student engagement than teachers

Why is the discussion regarding student engagement so prevalent? What are the root causes of this growing concern? Are typical classroom environments contributing to this issue? We investigated these questions and found that there are key contributors outside of the school’s control that make it challenging for students to focus and stay engaged during class. We will share how we used secondary research combined with video ethnography to understand the physiological reasons why this is happening and to show how typical classroom design choices often add to the problem. We will present solutions that improve student engagement and create a more effective learning environment without changing teaching methods.  SPEAKERS: Alan Rheault; Fleetwood Furniture/Jon Moroney;Kendall College of Art and Design

MINI SESSION 5:  Viable disruption. Lessons from a visioning process for a start-up school in Saudi Arabia

This presentation will provide a best practice case study of educational visioning for a new school that will intentionally disrupt existing education provision. Each of the three presenters provides a different perspective and experience of the visioning process: education, architecture, and practitioner/end-user. The methodology underpinning our approach and presentation is one of integrating multiple perspectives, drawn from theory and practice, design and education. We will start by outlining our co-created construct of viable disruption. This concept incorporates two mutually dependent aims for a new school visioning: to ensure the facility is contextually and academically viable; and to disrupt current education provision through innovation. The concept of viable disruption is illustrated through a case study of the visioning process for a new school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We will outline how new pedagogical concepts, including personalised, experiential and self-directed learning, were used as a basis for visioning new educational environments in Saudi Arabia, which tends to be bound in traditional forms of transmissive education. The presentation will outline the visioning processes for viable disruption to create an exemplar learning environment: • Engaging with research evidence and multiple stakeholders and perspectives to create a pedagogical framework based on contemporary concepts of quality education. • Strategic workshopping to develop an innovative spatial framework, while accounting for Arabic contextual, cultural and community influences. • The drawing together of the above two elements into a spatio-pedagogical framework, with each pedagogical concept integrated research evidence; including practice and design implications and potential learning environment scenarios. Exercise: participants will be provided with a scenario of pedagogical concepts and spatial affordances and constraints. They will be guided through our visioning process to co-create an integrated spatio-pedagogical framework that considers the action possibilities and constraints of viable disruption in a complex context. The presentation will conclude by outlining the lessons we learnt that enabled both creative and critical thinking and co-enactment of viable disruption. This includes: • Aligning global educational and design concepts and related research evidence with the experience and practice of the Saudi socio-cultural context • Identifying potential design outcomes and considering assumptions and criteria for a critical examination of these possibilities • Capturing generative insights and questions that come the visioning process that challenges existing routines and conventions Our conclusions indicate that an effective visioning process is based on the integration of multiple perspectives, including design, education and end-user. We also highlight the pedagogical and design affordances and tensions that are likely to drive innovation; and comment on our own reflections about working in the dynamic and complex Middle Eastern context.  SPEAKERS: Matthew Dwyer; i=D+E/Craig Deed;i=D+E/Mary McPherson, Interim Primary Principal; MiSK Schools

MINI SESSION 6:  Blurring the Lines between Teaching and Learning

Teacher versus Environments has long been a topic of discussion concerning student performance. Is space a tool for learning? Should we be training teachers to use space to support new learning models? What role does culture play in implementing a shift towards innovative learning environments? Join a panel of experts who are looking to merge policy, funding, organization development, learning, and architecture in a way that offers to elevate learner and educator outcomes. The design of the 5th high school in the Agua Fria Union High School District is elevating the learning experience with the new Canyon View High School, a campus that fosters and enables innovation and measurable advancements in teaching and learning. DLR Group’s design is comprised of forward-thinking spaces and places that allow teachers to advance their professional skills, and students to examine coursework more deeply and develop collaborative opportunities with peers globally. Unique elements of the school’s design include: • The Accelerator: The campus is home to a first of its kind Teaching and Learning Accelerator, an open source incubator for the art of teaching and learning. • The Agora: The campus consists of a series of buildings that form an outdoor marketplace dubbed the Agora that gives students a place to gather and socialize. The Agora also includes outdoor project rooms, a learning stair, student dining, and an athletic training corridor that leverages the mild southwest climate through Computational Fluid Dynamic modelling to afford thermal comfort throughout the year. • The Learning Suites: The north edge of the Agora is formed by four learning suites, which are defined as a series of connected settings that can flexibly merge with one another in support of a “pedagogy of the moment.” A blend of six primary learning settings is positioned around the perimeter of each suite with two labs and connections between. • And so much more…including a unique approach to curriculum and research through the installation of Bio PCM (Phase Change Materials) that simulates thermal mass and shifts heating and cooling cycles. The freshman physics class is conducting ongoing research in conjunction with ASU to track the ROI. Reflections after the opening of Canyon View High School in November of 2018 has led to a broadening of the dialogue to include representatives from ASU’s colleges of education and from private non-for-profits. Join us as we explore the possibilities for a conversation that will shape an unusual leveraging of public and private funding, of architecture and education and everything in between.  SPEAKERS: Dr. Dennis Runyan; Augua Fria Union High School District/Tom Huffman;Augua Fria Union High School District/Pam Loeffelman, Principal, Though Leader;  DLR Group

MINI SESSION 7:  Connecting the 5 Domains of School Security

School safety and discovery of security best practice remains an evolving process and will likely remain so for some time. Several inter-connecting domains are involved in creating schools that are safe and secure from the threat of violence. We will need to imagine desired outcomes and follow our curiosity to inform our practice. These inter-connected domains start with are physical improvements to the built environment known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). The next domain is made up of the security staffing and organizational design. Then comes the operational protocols: emergency operations plans, training, drills, exercises, daily routines and design of staff duties. The next domain is that of technology including alarm systems, security cameras, a variety of software, phone and desktop applications, notification systems and social media monitoring. Finally, and I think most important is the domain of school climate and culture. In most school districts the responsibility for each of these five domains is typically spread out among multiple departments and integration of all five into a cohesive, efficient and efficacious whole is challenging and difficult for a number of reasons. The overall effectiveness of any school safety and security system can be improved by thoughtful organization of the safety and security function in a unified manner that integrates the five domains. 1. CPTED 2. Staffing and organizational design 3. Plans and operational protocols 4. Technology 5. School climate and culture CPTED is typically primarily a function of the facilities department. Building principals, staff and students are the personnel who live and work in this domain, but design is largely a function of facilities professionals and consultant architects. Staffing and organizational design of the security function varies widely among school districts with everything from school district police departments with certified officers to ununiformed security officers and use of para-educators for student security. Where district police exist there is often a chief of police and a department staffed with state certified uniformed peace officers, trained detectives, sometimes with K9 units and full time dispatch center. In other districts there may be one or several security staff with or without uniforms, usually unarmed and often not part of a centralized department, but rather under the charge of individual school principals. In this circumstance the duties can vary widely school to school and there is typically little integration of this staff with other domains. Plans and operational protocols range from FEMA Complaint Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) to individual school Incident Management Plans that are not integrated into a district wide plan. Most schools have had relatively good incident plans for years. These often included contacts lists, basic response plans for different types of incidents ranging from weather to armed intruder. Operational protocols for security staff in schools have often been ad hoc and not highly refined, nor part of an integrated district wide EOP. Increasingly, the long standard fire drills, tornado sheltering and related established protocols are being integrated into comprehensive FEMA style EOP’s that take the “all hazards” approach. The technology domain is rapidly evolving with the rapid increased in concern for, and response to, violence on school campuses. This domain has long included security cameras, fire and burglar alarms, intercom systems and notification trees. These are now supplemented with phone cell phone based notification apps, social media monitoring services, automated access controls (part technology and part CPTED). Much of the technology domain had been traditionally under direction of the IT department, but increasingly end users have more ownership of their devise and the uses thereof. Traditionally, school climate and culture was exclusively the domain of the educational administrators, building principals and teachers. Building a culture and climate of safety and security, freedom from bullying and abuse and sense of safety on campus was not seen as a part of the physical plant or facilities staff. A sense of student well-being and a climate of security on campus has not always been understood to be derived from good safety and security protocols like fire drills or knowledge of where to shelter in severe weather. Increasingly, these are understood to be inter-related and inter-dependent. I will argue that the five domains I have cited are each necessary, but none are sufficient without comprehensive integration of all five, to establishing a comprehensive system of school safety and security. In order to do that, leaders in each domain have got to let go of organizational stove pipe behaviors and work for comprehensive integration of the efforts of all staff in each domain. I will posit that culture and climate are primary and a disciplined approach to integration of the other domains is required. All the physical measures, all the technology and staff, all the plans and protocols are insufficient by themselves without a disciplined and comprehensive approach to full integration of all five domains. This session will explore the five domains and the typical organizational architectures where they live and work. Participants will be provoked to engage their curiosity and create new ideas, to interactively explore existing conditions, to think creatively about over coming organizational barriers to effectiveness, to discover new alternatives and imagine what could be.  SPEAKERS: Mike Maloney, REFP; Davenport Community School District

MINI SESSION 8: Makerspaces: From Elementary Schools to College Campuses

Once found primarily in schools of engineering, makerspaces are now a growing trend in all levels of educational facilities, from elementary to high schools and from technical schools to university libraries. Providing tools and materials, mentors and sponsors, they foster cross-pollination of disciplines, promote higher engagement with teams, and encourage the skills and abilities required for success in students’ future careers: ideation, collaboration, and exploration. Highlighting a variety of makerspaces across the country, this course will reveal current trends, share the benefits to users, and demonstrate successful design strategies for these creative community spaces. SPEAKERS: Gwen Morgan, Stantec; 

MINI SESSION 9: A Bold Commitment to Reshape a Top Performing District; The Why, the What and the How

The Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) in Colorado made a bold commitment to reinvent its educational approach and prepare students differently for the workforce they’ll enter by placing greater emphasis on innovation, critical thinking skills, and advanced career-based programs. To achieve this feat, the district partnered with DLR Group and with local industry partners guided by the Colorado Workforce Development Council’s Colorado Talent Pipeline Report to create relevant career pathways for students and design the new Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC), a facility that expands college and career preparatory opportunities currently available to 11th and 12th grade students at the district’s seven high schools. It will support learners at all levels. Students who plan to attend college can take dual enrollment courses to earn credit toward their college degree. Students who prefer to enter the workforce or military immediately can learn skills or trades that help prepare them for their careers. And students who have not decided on a career path can further explore interests and build skill sets that will give them a competitive advantage as they enter the workforce. Students also will have opportunities for off-site internships and apprenticeships for hands-on experience in a variety of potential career fields. DLR Group’s design for the 117,000 SF CCIC comprises a variety of learning environments and social spaces from traditional classrooms for instruction, to more intense labs that provide hands on areas for a project-based curriculum that includes everything from health sciences + wellness, to artificial intelligence, to advanced manufacturing to transportation logistics to STEAM/IT. Industry-specific spaces support real-world training or trade certification programs, and high-bay labs provide flexible spaces for experimentation and exploration. The high bay labs for infrastructure, aviation, and transportation logistics have direct access to sheltered work areas for enhanced learning opportunities to create + explore in authentic outdoor environments. An ‘i-commons’ is also incorporated at the heart of the campus. It is a space designed to encourage intentional collisions and synergy between the interdisciplinary interactions, industry partners, and career-based programs by designing circulation and open break out areas that support collaborative activities outside of the specific “learning labs”. The professional development and creation of appropriate curriculum that is both relevant and engaging was also an integral part of a process that links innovative learning environments with the teacher change necessary for the educators to leverage the magic of the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus. SPEAKERS: Sarah Grobbel, Cherry Creek School District; Greg Cromer, AIA, DLR Group

MINI SESSION 10: Design for Psychology – Importance of Informal Spaces

Recent developments in the field of neurosciences have revealed significant differences in students’ psychologies. It seems that we as architects and school planners need to find new and more meaningful ways to understand and provide space choices that respond to and support students’ different psychological needs.  SPEAKERS: Boris Srdar, FAIA, LEED AP, NAC Architecture

CANCELLED-MINI SESSION 11: Innovate, Iterate, Prototype: How failing fast can generate engaging and effective learning environments

MINI SESSION 12:  Brand-new & shiny! Now what? Educators’ “Spatial Commissioning” Workshops & Results

The very first 21st century designed school, along with the 21st century learning place interiors were developed for this district (i.e., “learning pods” and their research-affirmed affordances). A new principal, and all newly hired educators experienced three workshop segments, or “spatial commissioning” - Pre, Just After and Post. First, a 1.5 day Critical Thinking Method Workshop was held Pre-turnover in mocked up spaces to begin to bridge the connections between: (a) each other, (b) educators and administrative team, (c) the idea of “space as a teaching tool” as these interiors were very different from what all were accustomed to, and (d) the development of a common language in which to work. Second, a half-day workshop was held a few weeks Just After the beginning of the opening semester. This workshop was timed in order to: (a) revisit what was affirmed in the pre-start workshop, (b) determine “how they were doing,” (c) determine and “shadow” or left over comfort zone behaviors, and (d) offer collective insights in terms of any struggles or challenges, or behaviors that educators found themselves falling back upon. The third workshop was near the end, or Post 1st Year’s term. This workshop asked: (a) for reflections on how the learning pods worked/didn’t, (b) what the educators learned about themselves and their students as they moved into this new type of learning and teaching methods, and (c) what were the lessons’ learned/what you would do differently next year to keep alive and honor the active learning vision growing. The workshop presenters will share the lessons learned after each of the workshops and valuable insights from a first year’s worth of work by the principal as a member of this presentation.  SPEAKERS: Sheila Hammond, Principal, , Ecole Salish Secondary School, Surrey School District #36

MINI SESSION 13: Improving Student Performance and Health with Tubular Daylighting Devices

It’s been proven that access to natural light is an important element in the learning environment. When designing new schools or remodeling old schools, introducing adequate natural light can often be challenging. With Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDs), natural light can reach places never thought possible in both new and retrofit applications. Using TDDs provides a solution for improving an educational environment, and does more than simply brighten up a space. It has been shown to improve concentration, reduce behavioral issues and foster greater student achievement. It also promotes lower absenteeism and higher employee retention. And that’s just the beginning. In this course, we will review the science behind natural light, industry guidelines, the product features of Tubular Daylighting Devices and examples of current installations.  SPEAKERS: Ryan Ghere, Solatube

MINI SESSION 14: Pathfinders Kindergarten Story

SPEAKERS: Todd Ferking, DLR Group

MINI SESSION 15: Why are so many glass walls covered by paper?  What’s being designed and not being used by teachers?

This roundtable discussion will pick up some of the threads of the conference presentations, particularly concerning communication.  We will explore more deeply the disconnect between the end users (the teachers and students) and the architects/designers and what can be done to strengthen communication at all stages of school design.  We will look at some examples of teacher-led design efforts and discuss some of the challenges to implementing a stronger user-led design approach and how to address the District’s concerns of equity, flexibility and fiscal responsibility.  We encourage teachers, students, and designers to join in – we want to hear your voices and ideas! SPEAKERS: William Gould, ALEP, Artik Art and Architecture; Jill Goodman, Santa Clara University

MINI SESSION 16: How Do We Get There From Here? Master Planning Best Practices for Existing Schools - Tools for Community Engagement

Missed the full workshop Friday? Here’s a chance to try the hands on Tools for Community Engagement in an interactive session that shares the process, pitfalls and best practices for master planning evolving 21st Century, active learning environments. Come and try some of the exercises that design teams use to engage community members and district stakeholders. The tools are designed to help stakeholders express their priorities, educate the community on planning parameters such as budget and schedule, and inspire the participants in a way that is both useful and fun.  SPEAKERS: Bill Heinicke, Planning Director, Elk Grove Unified School District; Laura Knauss, AIA, ALEP, Principal, Lionakis

MINI SESSION 17: Capturing the essence and intent of a school through pre-design co-creation sessions

Participatory design harnesses the latent potential of all stakeholders: teachers, school leaders, parents, students and designers. Through an intensive participatory process a team of 8 teachers, two academics, 45 students and two architects developed a school design through a series of collaborative techniques. These included taking stock of ideas in current practice, existing space use, development through imagined practice, fertile possibilities, productive provocations, dream-school sessions, and finally a spatio-temporal mapping exercise. The importance of contributions was shaped by our model of participatory design emphasising development of voice at critical junctures across time. One case study is presented. The case study school is a subsequent stage of the recipient of the A4LE Australasian Award for individual facility ($2.5 million) project of distinction (2016). This presentation focuses on an Australian K-4 elementary school stage. This project undertook a design process seeking to maximise the educational model centred on project based learning. This approach centres on the idea that students are active investigators of their world with knowledge generated through a series of individual and collective interactions with genuine experiences. We will present a model for participatory design that identifies key moments of collaboration. The presentation will share a series of insights framed by enablers and constraints that have emerged from the particular participatory design process employed at this site. SPEAKERS: Scott Alterator, University of Melbourne