Manuel Pena, Jr. Elementary School

摘要

Faced with the challenge of creating a safe and secure campus that could handle the unexpected vandalism and lock-down issues, the design explores opportunities for creating a vibrant, yet safe venue for learning and interaction. The campus is designed on a 13.5-acre site located in West Phoenix, and explores unique relationships between indoor and outdoor spaces. A primary goal was to effectively create educational spaces for both indoor and outdoor spaces. The adjoining site to the west of the campus is a future city park that creates a great opportunity for sharing outdoor play areas between the city and the district, while the design evolves around the district's vision of creating a K-6 campus-style school with classroom pods. The buildings collectively enclose a large central courtyard that contains a grassed amphitheater and concrete stage, which is regularly used for outdoor performances. Also, a valuable street presence is accomplished with a strategically placed building on the east end of the school.