Arts and Technology Academy

Project Details

Project Description

As a STE(A)M-centric (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) learning environment, the Jefferson Middle School Arts and Technology Academy (ATA) was designed to support a variety of student-centered, project-based, hands-on learning styles and pedagogies through teaching, learning, playing, listening, engaging and inspiring exploration for students, teachers and the community. As a teaching tool for exploring and learning about the interaction between the natural and built world, ATA’s honest tectonic expression of structure, exposed building systems and natural interior wood finishes and casework creates an environment that is conducive to a STE(A)M-centric curriculum. An iconic, umbrella-like folding roof visible from all public spaces in the building and beyond and comprised of exposed steel frames, wood glulam beams and wood decking, stretches across the building’s length, cantilevering in various locations to provide protection from the elements while creating a warm and inviting interior environment. Various sloped roof profiles pay homage to the wood construction of the surrounding residential vernacular while visually bridging the scale of ATA’s two-story massing and surrounding one-story homes. An expansive photovoltaic array visible from the park adorns ATA’s south-facing one-story roof section. Ample exterior glazing throughout maximizes daylight and views while serving as a warmly-lit community beacon at night highlighted by the soaring, exposed wood roof. ATA is organized around a two-story daylit community Living Room that addresses parking and drop-off to the north and a community park and foothills to the south. A two-story core of flexible STE(A)M Lab, Art Studio and project-based learning Commons is surrounded by classrooms, extending vertically above the flanking classroom bars to allow continuous north and south-facing clerestories to bring daylight into the core. As ATA’s pedagogical / geographical, the STE(A)M Lab anchors the building and is visible and accessible from the Living Room and outdoor park to the south through ample glazing and glass roll-up doors, allowing students and visitors to engage the energy, activity and creativity that is central to ATA’s identity. ATA’s east wing maximizes community engagement flexibility with co-located communal spaces (Gymnasiums, Theatre, Music Room, Cafeteria, Media Center) adjacent to the Living Room. The integration of 3 renovated gymnasiums allowed the District to maximize its budget on new construction. The 2-story west wing organizes learning spaces into three parallel, east-west oriented bars with flexible and adaptable classrooms organized along the north and south, allowing for efficient controllability of daylighting and expansive views of the students’ community beyond.