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
Education Facilities | Jan 8, 2019
Greenwich Village’s Grace Church School receives rooftop athletic center expansion
Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects designed the addition.
Education Facilities | Oct 31, 2018
BIG and WeWork collaborate on the first WeGrow school in NYC
WeWork is designed to help children learn through introspection, exploration, and discovery.
Education Facilities | Oct 18, 2018
Perkins+Will-designed, STEM-focused elementary school opens in Dallas
The school will accommodate 900 students each year.
University Buildings | Oct 8, 2018
One size doesn't fit all: Student housing is not a pair of socks
While the programming and design for these buildings all kept a holistic living/learning experience at the core, they also had amazingly different outcomes.
Education Facilities | Sep 20, 2018
Teen Center of Excellence under construction in Ferguson, Mo.
Arcturis is the Architect for the project.
Education Facilities | Sep 12, 2018
Security vs. 21st century learning: We shouldn’t have to choose
In order to effectively talk about school design, we need to start by understanding what a school is designed to do.
Education Facilities | Sep 12, 2018
350,000-sf High Tech High School opens in Secaucus, N.J.
The technical school is on the Frank J. Cargiulo Campus.
Education Facilities | Aug 30, 2018
Construction completes on only dedicated STEAM facility for girls in Rhode Island
LLB Architects designed the building.
Education Facilities | Aug 24, 2018
Encourage student wellness by incorporating active design into college campus architecture
Before you incorporate active design into your college campus, you need to understand exactly what doing so entails.
Education Facilities | Aug 21, 2018
Meet the new vo-techs
Career and technical education is preparing K-12 students earlier than ever for college and the job market.