AAF Hosts Forum on Historic and Non-Traditional School Facilities

September 10, 2008 - In early September 2008, the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) conducted a Great Schools by Design forum in New York City entitled "Creating Effective learning Environments in Historic and Non-Traditional School Facilities" to develop new ideas for adaptive reuse for schools.

Adaptive Reuse of non-traditional structures for schools is a sustainable design solution that more districts are embracing. This is an especially valuable alternative for urban districts hoping to substitute the predominant model of the 40-acre school site on edge of town. Assembling education, design, and preservation leaders, with school facility architects and representatives from the two largest school districts in the country, the forum asked these knowledge leaders to provide strategies for helping school districts confront the issues challenging adaptive reuse.

The ideas generated at the forum will be incorporated into a publication to be released spring 2009, but initial themes are clear: Individual and organizational perceptions of the difficulties and obstacles are often greater than reality would suggest. Those districts which have completed successful adaptive reuse projects are actively involved with perception mitigation. Educating community leaders about how to address concerns about adaptive reuses builds trust in their school and is part of the solution to delivering great learning environments across the district.

Participants:

E. Bruce Barrett, New York City School Construction Authority
Victoria Bergsagel, Architects of Achievement
Thomas H. Blurock, FAIA, IBI Group
Ronald Bogle, Hon. AIA, American Architectural Foundation
Sarah Bookwalter, American Architectural Foundation
Douglas Brookman, Public Solutions, Inc.
Vincent Coffeen, Los Angeles Unified School District
Xenia Cox, Archademia, Educational Facilities Planning
Timothy J. Dufault, AIA, Cuningham Group
Melissa Gallagher-Rogers, U.S. Green Building Council
Thomas Hylton, Writer
Judy Marks, Hon. AIA, National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
Renee Kuhlman, The National Trust for Historic Preservation
Frank Locker PhD, AIA, REFP, Frank Locker Educational Planners
Pamela Loeffelman, FAIA, Perkins Eastman Architects, PC
Deb Mckoy, UC Berkeley Center for Cities and Schools
Kathleen Moore, California State Department of Education
Kenrick Ou, New York City School Construction Authority
Brooks Rainwater, American Institute of Architects
Graham Stroh, American Architectural Foundation
Maria Viteri, AIA, International Masonry Institute
Adele Willson, AIA, LEED AP, SLATERPAULL Architects
Royce A. Yeater, AIA, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Jess Zimbabwe, AICP, LEED-AP, American Architectural Foundation

Great Schools by Design (GSbD) is a national initiative of the American Architectural Foundation that seeks to improve the quality of America’s schools and the communities they serve by promoting collaboration, excellence and innovation in school design. Following the 2006 National Summit on School Design, AAF has conducted forums to gather concepts, current perspectives, and best practices on a number of topics recommended by the Summit participants. AAF appreciates the continuing support of Great Schools by Design’s presenting sponsor Target.

Click here to learn more about Great Schools by Design.