The Spring 2009 semester competed with architecture students across the nation to design a K-5 Elementary School for the ACSA "Life Cycle of a School" competition. Entrants were asked to chose a site, design an adaptable structural steel system, apply the system to design an elementary school for present and future needs, and present their design on four 20"x20" boards.

SITE ASSESMENT

Prescott, Arizona - Located in the picturesque American Southwest, Arizona is noted for its desert climate. Water is a scarce and highly valued resource while the sun shines nearly every day. Prescott is situated at the top of its watershed, receiving an average of 19.3 inches of precipitation each year. The town has a four-season climate with mild winters.

Ribbons of Life - The riparian areas that surround Arizona's waterways are home to 80% of its flora and fauna and 70% of its endangered species. Like many of the waterways and riparian areas in Arizona, Prescott's creeks have been degraded by human activity. The school project plans to restore the section of Miller Creek that cuts through its site as part of a local effort to create a restorative city-wide trail system intended to enhance human and natural connections in the community.

PRESCOTT LEARNING VILLAGE - PLAN A

The design of our school is a response to the opportunities and challenges of our chosen site. On one side it is bordered by Miller Valley Road, a busy thoroughfare featuring a typical pattern of strip development. Miller Creek, a potentially beautiful, but currently neglected urban waterway, flows along the opposite side of our site. Between them lies a mostly empty field and a tall, graceful cottonwood tree. Our school design responds to the neglected site by encouraging ecological restoration and life cycle education. Indoor classrooms illuminate active and passive systems that sustain the school. Outdoor classrooms encourage students to nurture their portion of the schoolyard.

When students interact with a buildings that cooperate with the natural world it shapes their expectation of what is possible in the world. If their school collects rainwater, is powered by sunlight, and can be reconfigured and recycled, they will rightly wonder why other buildings in their community are not able to function in the same ways. By creating a school that cooperatively embraces the complex and cyclical nature of life, we intend to help students develop holistic skills and understanding to flourish in our deeply interconnected and multi-layered world.

The ZactAngle is a structural system that uses minimal material to provide a functional and modular connection between two or more lengths of steel. Each component consists of an I-beam bolted to a connector. Five unique I-beam-connector pairs bolt together to provide three-dimensional structural stability at ?fteen degree increments.  The exterior shell of the building is composed of a modular panel system of cor-ten and powder-coated steel panels. Various perforated steel sheets are paired with tensile cables and stays to form an exterior shading system and perimeter fences.

This proposal for an elementary school integrates the site and structures with the local population. Resources, materials, and people will be brought in to serve a multitude of community needs. Thought has been given to the life cycle of the site: its past as a dairy farm, its present as a vacant lot, and its future as a restored riparian zone and community asset. The large structures and parking lot are sited to block road noise, fast food smells, and strong seasonal winds. Sunken gardens are sited to collect runoff. Visitors are welcomed by a living machine that treats campus wastewater. Native trees shade the bus entrance. Outdoor gathering and eating space is located along a central boulevard within sight of the administration. An old cottonwood tree is the focal point of the site. The layout is open to encourage interaction while controlling the community interface.

Classrooms are proximal to the creek to provide access to creek-side learning opportunities. Sheltered courtyards welcome students to their classrooms, which are grouped by developmental level. Kindergartners are more protected and have rounder classroom spaces. All classrooms are designed with daylighting, nontoxic materials, and proper acoustics.

The open steel framework provides structure from which building components are suspended or supported. Attachment points support an insulated tensile envelope; tensile shade fabric covers outdoor spaces within the framework. Some exterior walls are formed by a system of prefabricated panels and splines. Steel bar-and-cable curtain walls form the grid into which prefabricated hexagonal panels fit so that interior components such as windows, chalkboards, and bookshelves can be rearranged. Outside, attachment points support photovoltaic panels and play structures. Individual parts are reusable: bolts, standard arc pieces, helical foundations, and walls are reconfigurable.

The arched frame supports insulated tensile roofs and hanging interior partitions. Outdoors it provides structure for shading, solar panels and play equipment. The framework is suggestive of the mats of gramma grass that currently cover the site. The forms with circular footprints are reminiscent of the electron orbits of a carbon atom, a critical component of steel.