Project Description
Focused on embracing trends in 21st century school design and providing flexibility for teaching and learning opportunities, the design of the replacement Severna Park High School is student-oriented—likening students to “consumers of education.”
Similar to the approach taken in retail complexes to attract and engage consumers, the three pillars of a well-rounded education—academics, arts, and athletics—are organized to draw students in and promote collaboration. Like the anchor stores at a mall, the larger arts and athletics volumes create destinations at opposite ends of the school and accommodate simultaneous extracurricular activities. The academic core connects the arts and athletics, providing the bulk of the educational opportunities. Informal gathering spaces, flexible classrooms, and small group study spaces are woven throughout to foster informal interaction.
An open exterior courtyard offers additional gathering space and serves as the structure’s main orienting element—visually and physically connecting the school’s interior spaces, maximizing access to daylight from within, and providing opportunities for chance encounters as one circulates. The interplay of social and interdisciplinary spaces throughout the school approximates the college experience and provides students with endless opportunities to learn, interact, and collaborate.