The Pennington School’s new Kenneth K.T. Yen Humanities Building, designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) has completed in Pennington, N.J. The new building is at the center of a comprehensive campus plan VMA created in 2012. It comprises 18 classrooms and five seminar rooms.
The facility was originally intended to contain 21 classrooms and occupy a larger footprint than the resulting 30,000 sf, but early in the process VMA and the Pennington School realized they could rethink the program and design in ways that made better use of the space and resources.
After analyzing Pennington’s daily class schedule, VMA determined the school would be better served by a mix of classroom sizes rather than the planned equal-sized classrooms. Initial plans also included a fully enclosed lecture hall, but with the change in strategy to prioritize flexible, multi-use spaces, plans for this lecture hall were altered, as well. This led to the creation of The Forum, an expansive double-height atrium that serves as a space for both lectures and events, as well as informal gatherings and study sessions.
Classrooms feature seamless and unobtrusive technology that supports varying teaching techniques and flexible furniture that can form multiple configurations to accommodate different needs. Faculty and administrative areas are clustered to allow shared amenities and to make them more accessible to students. Nooks are included throughout the hallways and outfitted with comfortable, colorful seating. These informal breakout spaces can be used as meeting spaces for after-school clubs and places for teachers and students to gather as equals.
The project has achieved LEED Gold certification.
Related Stories
Education Facilities | Apr 18, 2019
Ransom Everglades School’s new STEM facility to emphasize flexibility
Perkins+Will is designing the building.
University Buildings | Mar 27, 2019
Veterans Resource Center at Cypress College breaks ground
Sundt Construction is building the project.
Education Facilities | Mar 8, 2019
Nature preserve on the Yangtze River will restore biodiversity to a polluted area
Ennead Architects, in partnership with Andropogon Landscape Architects, is designing the project.
Education Facilities | Feb 25, 2019
Fallingwater Institute’s summer residency programs have a new educational hub
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the project.
Education Facilities | Feb 23, 2019
Construction completed on classroom/dorm combo building on Worcester Polytechnic’s campus
The latest addition embodies the school’s emphasis on collaborative problem-solving.
Education Facilities | Feb 13, 2019
STEM-focused school will cater to students who don’t speak English
Perkins+Will is designing the school.
Libraries | Feb 10, 2019
New library branch in San Diego opens with its community’s learning and working traits in mind
It features larger gathering spaces and more technology than its predecessor.
Green | Jan 28, 2019
This is the country’s greenest academic building
Perkins+Will designed the building.
Education Facilities | Jan 22, 2019
Rethinking classroom design to promote collaboration
A dynamic learning space needs to center around the learner, and be flexible enough to transform into any configuration that will facilitate collaboration, especially as curriculums change.
Education Facilities | Jan 21, 2019
N.J. middle school puts its small site to use
The school is named in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of the “Beloved Community.”
