Best Education Degrees recently ranked the 30 most amazing campuses in the world. Is your school on this list?
Here are the top 10:
10. Hazelwood School in Glasgow, Scotland was designed to accommodate a student body with sensory impairments. Completed in 2007, it’s a welcoming single-story building. Firm co-founder Alan Dunlop explained how school architecture could impact students, teachers, and parents, saying, “Good school design is important for children, for it says: ‘You are our future, and we recognize that you are special.’” This building not only pays special attention to students’ navigational needs; it also offers them the chance to explore and boost their confidence.
9. Concordia International School splits the skyline in Shanghai, China. The center has state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly facilities. The school covers 129,200 square feet and contains 20 classrooms, a world language lab, various instruction rooms and four science classrooms. Geothermal technology was implemented in its construction, with the aim of reducing energy costs by as much as 25%. Green roofs also cut down on heating and cooling costs, while natural ventilation and sunlight further add to the school’s eco-conscious design.
8. Marysville Getchell High School is in Marysville, Washington. Described as a “learning community,” the complex opened in 2010 and is made up of four smaller schools: the Bio-Med Academy, the International School of Communications, the Academy of Construction and Engineering and the School for the Entrepreneur. Each school has its own building, but they share a courtyard. The design focused on relationships, accountability and community. The Seattle wing of international architectural firm the DLR Group designed the school, which features several energy efficiency measures – for example, the structure uses windows and shading instead of a mechanical system to provide cooling. Each building also offers flexible teaching and learning thanks to movable walls and furniture on wheels.
7. In England, Park View High School’s open corridors – complete with vertical wood slats – provide a visually interesting contrast to the old school design. Architectural firm Haworth Tompkins extensively revitalized the aging and poorly maintained complex in 2012. Director of Haworth Tompkins, Graham Haworth, said the original conglomeration of buildings had safety problems – such as overfull corridors and little daylight. However, Haworth said that “by working with the existing building stock, ‘de-silting’ it, introducing creative additions, and making simple but thoughtful improvements to the whole, a first-class learning environment can be created.”
6. Pacific Ridge High School is in North San Diego County, California. Its new high school building was designed in collaboration with architectural practice Carrier Johnson + Culture and was opened in 2010. Both the high school building and the groundbreaking athletic center meet LEED Gold standards. The site boasts renewable energy technology, abundant natural lighting and reduced water usage. Pacific Ridge High is known for its rigorous scholarship and seminar-style learning methods.
5. Fitzroy High School in Melbourne, Australia is a landmark for the surrounding community. Sections of the interior can be partitioned off with high curtains, while the flat, accessible roof looks perfect for outdoor learning. Special attention has also been paid to ventilation and natural lighting. And the school contains science labs, a drama studio, a kitchen garden and a sporting complex. The new building was completed in 2009, and in 2010 it won a Dulux Colour Award as well as the annual Australian Institute of Architecture Victorian Chapter Award.
4. The original Emidio Navarro Secondary School in Almada, Portugal was built in the 1950s as a technical school, before later being transformed into a high school. Architect José Laranjeira remodeled the school between 2008 and 2010. Much of the original structure was maintained and respected, but improvements were made to the existing facility. A new building now features labs and computation technical rooms, as well as mechanical, electronic and electric workshops, and the upper floor of the building contains an auditorium and teachers’ offices. The outside areas now have recreational and sports facilities.
3. The Nigel Peck Centre for Learning and Leadership is part of boarding and day school Melbourne Grammar in Australia. The mostly glazed facade allows community members to look inside but also students to look out. This quality was intended to create “an outward-focused learning environment.” Affording students such spacious views of the surrounding area may encourage them to mentally connect their learning to the world outside, especially the city and its history.
2. Bertha von Suttner School is an elementary and lower secondary school for students between the ages of six and 18 who have disabilities, behavioral problems and psychological disorders. The school is located in southeast Vienna. Its glass building is bright and welcoming. Students enjoy activities such as painting, cooking, handicrafts, physical therapy, gardening and working with computers. Additional features include a special room where children can relax on a waterbed and enjoy soothing fiber optic lighting. Sliding panels in the roof control the amount of sunlight that enters the building, and the sloping roof cuts out exterior noise and insulates the interior against the cold.
1. Inderkum High School in Sacramento, California was completed in 2004. The building is highly energy efficient and uses electricity-generating photovoltaic panels, a geothermal ground loop system, low-velocity cooling displacement and radiant slab heating. Four academic pods extend from the central glass atrium, housing labs for physics, biology, chemistry, biotechnology and earth science.
Click here to view the full list.
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