School Design - Part 1

Are Schools the True Hearts of our Communities?

We are very excited for the opening of Beaufort County’s 1st Charter School, Riverview Charter School. The overwhelming collaboration and help from our local community to get Riverview started encouraged us to think about how schools really fit into communities these days.

Up until the early 20th century, schools were civic hearts of communities. Today, new schools are functional institutions for learning and little else. Consequently, modern school design is significantly different than it has been throughout history. These differences can be clearly seen on a variety of scales, from the macro to the micro. From the school location and campus structure, to the forms and typologies of the buildings, down to the specific architectural character and detailing of those buildings, schools are no longer given the thought and consideration in design that they once were.

originally posted 8.7.09