The evolution of libraries for elementary and secondary schools has seen these spaces emerge as media centers of learning and collaboration for their students. However, library spaces, as they’ve been configured traditionally, don’t always lend themselves readily to that kind of transformation.
“The flaw of outdated space is that the design of the media center may not reflect or support” the current learning experience, states Wold Architects and Engineers, the Minnesota-based firm, in a recent white paper titled “From data retrieval to data creation: trends and opportunities for modern media centers.”
That white paper positions media—“the system and organization through which information is spread to a large number of people”—at the heart of a school’s learning. “No other space in a school is better situated to impact all learners and spark innovation,” the white paper states.
The flexible design of modern media centers can accommodate both personalized and project-based learning, different spatial options, as well as information access through a variety of technologies. Spaces can be “zoned” for both private study and communal student interaction. Media Centers “are less about retrieval” and more about “access and inclusion for any type of information for communication,” says Vaughn Dierks, AIA, LEED AP, a Partner with Wold and one of the white paper’s coauthors.
BOOKS AND ACTIVITIES DECENTRALIZED
Dierks cites as examples several recent media center projects his firm has been engaged in. For a new high school for Hermantown Community Schools in Minnesota, Wold created a “deconstructed” media center called Digital Commons, which has become the school’s hub. Bookshelves were scaled back and books placed in high-density storage that takes up a fraction of the shelf space. Students reserve book online and are supported by IT and Media specialists who are located at help desk/information stations. The entire media center is open space surrounded by classrooms and labs.
At Centerview Elementary School in Spring Lake Park, Minn., students can self-checkout books that are distributed to areas near clusters for classrooms. The Media Center opens to an adjacent cafeteria, with learning “stairs” and performance space as central elements.
The Media Center for the Prairie View PK-8 school for Independent School District #728 in Otsego, Minn., includes collaborative spaces adjacent and open to the cafeteria. The in-between space has come to be known as “The Living Room” and is accessible to the school’s community. Secure spaces for books and technology are behind an operable glass wall.
In Idalia, Colo., the Idalia PK-12 has dispersed previously centralized books and other resources to spaces adjacent to classrooms that support different grade levels.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | May 17, 2023
Designing K-12 schools for students and safety
While bullying, mental health, and other acts of violence are all too common in schools today, designers have shown that smart and subtle preventive steps can make a big difference. Clark Nexsen’s Becky Brady shares how prevention and taking action at the design level can create safe and engaging learning environments.
K-12 Schools | May 12, 2023
In Virginia, a new high school building helps reimagine the experience for 1,600 students
In Virginia, the City of Alexandria recently celebrated the topping out of a new building for Alexandria City High School. When complete in 2025, the high-performance structure will accommodate 1,600 students.
Sustainability | Apr 20, 2023
13 trends, technologies, and strategies to expect in 2023
Biophilic design, microgrids, and decarbonization—these are three of the trends, technologies, and strategies IMEG’s market and service leaders believe are poised to have a growing impact on the built environment.
K-12 Schools | Apr 18, 2023
ASHRAE offers indoor air quality guide for schools
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a guide for educators, administrators, and school districts on indoor air quality. The guide can be used as a tool to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives, and available funding.
K-12 Schools | Apr 13, 2023
Creating a sense of place with multipurpose K-12 school buildings
Multipurpose buildings serve multiple program and functional requirements. The issue with many of these spaces is that they tend not to do any one thing well.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
New tool from Perkins&Will will make public health data more accessible to designers and architects
Called PRECEDE, the dashboard is an open-source tool developed by Perkins&Will that draws on federal data to identify and assess community health priorities within the U.S. by location. The firm was recently awarded a $30,000 ASID Foundation Grant to enhance the tool.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
Design for belonging: An introduction to inclusive design
The foundation of modern, formalized inclusive design can be traced back to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The movement has developed beyond the simple rules outlined by ADA regulations resulting in features like mothers’ rooms, prayer rooms, and inclusive restrooms.
Education Facilities | Apr 3, 2023
Oklahoma’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center opens academic center for affordable education and training
Oklahoma’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center, which provides career-specific training to adults and high school students, has completed its Francis Tuttle Danforth Campus—a two-story, 155,000-sf academic building. The project aims to fill the growing community’s rising demand for affordable education and training.