Summit Road STEM High School
Project Description
The new STEM high school at Reynoldsburg is a first of its kind for the State of Ohio in the sense that all 210,270 sq. ft. of space is designed for maximum flexibility and transparency. Spaces were designed for team and collaborative teaching in an open environment which allows students learn in an inquiry-based curriculum that integrates the arts, humanities and language into a holistic science-based curriculum. Demonstration classrooms and labs are fully glazed allowing instructors to teach while being observed by tour groups, visitors and other teachers.
Project Stats
Location
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Year of Completion
2011
Square Footage
210,270
Project Gallery
The Process
The concept starts with the “corridors” which are designed as extended learning areas. Open to adjacent spaces with lots of natural light, they are wide and include seating and whiteboards. Each classroom opens to these corridor spaces through the use of folding glass doors that also open to adjacent classrooms through the use of movable partitions. In this way, a multitude of configurations, sizes and re-combinations can be achieved. Teaching can be more formal and enclosed, then break out into more impromptu and informal blended settings.
The school itself and associated site serves as a teaching tool, onsite bioswales, wetland and prarie preserves and ecolabs as well as exposed structure and mechanical systems all reinforce and enhance the philosophy of STEM. The dynamic and diverse spaces which result create a multi-layered environment. Discovery is around every corner of this school.