In Their Own Words

Community School Master Plan and Classroom Addition

Expressing a school's unique culture through architecture

Christner's planners worked closely with Community School to realize the Master Plan's goals of promoting the campus' family atmosphere while realigning educational spaces and outdoor activity areas. Our planning efforts reflect the school's emphasis on student-teacher collaboration and connections to the natural world. The resulting addition incorporates classrooms and breakout spaces with a variety of flexible learning environments for fifth and sixth graders. A new entry plaza, in conjunction with reconfigured site access, provides a safer carpool experience. This work is the latest in a series of planning and design assignments for Community School over the past twenty years.

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Size: 16-acre campus, 18,000 sf addition and renovation
Status: Classroom Addition completed 2010, Master Plan completed 2006

<p>The success of the master plan is due in large part to the full buy-in earned from all constituent groups. It is designed to be flexible and responsive to future needs.</p>

The success of the master plan is due in large part to the full buy-in earned from all constituent groups. It is designed to be flexible and responsive to future needs.

<p>Our planners incorporated the thoughts and wishes of students into the Master Plan. Children drew a picture of their favorite place on campus and explained what it meant to them. The butterfly garden was a popular spot for students.</p>

Our planners incorporated the thoughts and wishes of students into the Master Plan. Children drew a picture of their favorite place on campus and explained what it meant to them. The butterfly garden was a popular spot for students.

<p>Christner's “tree house” addition concept for the lower school creates music and gross motor skills classrooms. A new outdoor classroom/amphitheater and playground maintains the children's connections with the naturalized surroundings.</p>

Christner's “tree house” addition concept for the lower school creates music and gross motor skills classrooms. A new outdoor classroom/amphitheater and playground maintains the children's connections with the naturalized surroundings.

<p>Christner designed the classroom addition to seamlessly connect with the Tudor style of the existing school as well as its residential scale. Students can access the nature trail directly from their classrooms.</p>

Christner designed the classroom addition to seamlessly connect with the Tudor style of the existing school as well as its residential scale. Students can access the nature trail directly from their classrooms.

<p>The classroom addition adds four fifth and sixth grade classrooms. The two larger classrooms on each floor can be easily reconfigured into one large space dedicated to each grade.</p>

The classroom addition adds four fifth and sixth grade classrooms. The two larger classrooms on each floor can be easily reconfigured into one large space dedicated to each grade.

<p>We incorporated breakout rooms for each grade that accommodate smaller groups of students in a focused learning environment.</p>

We incorporated breakout rooms for each grade that accommodate smaller groups of students in a focused learning environment.

<p>Christner also redesigned vehicular circulation on campus. The new system creates a safer carpool pickup zone, as well as an improved entry court that welcomes students and visitors.</p>

Christner also redesigned vehicular circulation on campus. The new system creates a safer carpool pickup zone, as well as an improved entry court that welcomes students and visitors.