Can Schools Learn from Museums? Yes, Says Innovative School in Wyoming

CASPER, Wyo., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership has announced the opening of Summit Elementary School, the first new one in Natrona County School District in 25 years and a novel experiment in applying museum principles to a public school.

At a ceremonial ribbon-cutting held Sept. 14, school officials called the 400-student, K-5 school building "an active learning and teaching tool."

Lee Skolnick, whose New York firm conceived the school with RB+B Architects Inc., says, "Like a museum, the school created a narrative that allows the building's features to embody their educational philosophy, emphasizing integrated, hands-on and real-world learning."

The result looks as unique as the approach, says Summit Elementary's principal, Dr. Anne LaPlante: "Not only does the design enhance the quality of how students and teachers interact, but it fosters the potential for learning opportunities between and around classroom spaces."

A collaborative process involving teachers, parents and students helped develop the design. "It was imperative that the public be involved," says Kelly Eastes, district spokesman. "We wanted Summit to be a place of civic pride."

Inspired by the history of Casper, the school resembles a village, with functions expressed by different shapes, materials and colors. The "Village Center" – a large indoor gathering place — connects to communal classrooms called "Learning Houses" meant to "feel like home." Movable furniture transforms spaces depending on teacher needs. As part of a cross-disciplinary approach to education, art and science are combined in the "Creativity Studio."

The school's exterior reflects Casper's high desert landscape, with striated brick and a sloping green metal roof that references the Laramie Mountain Range beyond. A sculptural spire marks the main entrance.

The school also showcases renewable energy, with solar panels, a wind turbine and geothermal heating and cooling.

The overall design actively helps student learn – and teachers teach, says Skolnick: "We believe that by finding a compelling narrative through a collaborative design process, we can enrich the lives of students and their communities. This new school tells stories to the students without using words."    

About Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership (LHSA+DP)

LHSA+DP is an award-winning, multidisciplinary design firm specializing in education, museums, and corporate facilities, exhibits, and graphic identity founded by Lee H. Skolnick, FAIA, author of What Is Exhibition Design? Visit www.skolnick.com.

Contact: Chris Sullivan, 914.462.2096 [email protected]

SOURCE Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership