The project proposal for the Campus
International School for Downtown Cleveland illustrates the transformation of
Cleveland State University's master plan for converting the area into a dense
mixed-use development and with recreation fields. The quotation ''an opportunity to re-evaluate the broader terrain in which children
learn and give as great an emphasis on learning environments as others have
given the educational philosophies'' formed the basis for our proposal.
A
key aim of the design is to produce a safe learning environment for the
students. The flexible classroom design and “street” layout of the school
encourages different age groups of children to meet and learn together, while
the main circulation space between the classrooms, student dining, media center
and recreational spaces is an additional learning hub. The proposed plan layout
avoids hidden corners and blind spots, and careful thought has been given to
landscaping to provide different types of outdoor play space including areas
for learning, planting, quiet zones and games. Each classroom has direct access
to the outdoor playgrounds and views to the surrounding buildings.
The basis of the design is centered around four clusters
of education: learning, growing, recreation, and social interaction. We believe
these to be the foundations of the new school vision, allowing for a complex
program where students can interact with each other and the city of
Cleveland. Instead of opting for a
linear and continuous distribution of these four clusters, the project design
proposes a combined, more playful combination of spaces through the use of
curves and organic shapes.
Our vision for the Campus International
School is to establish an open learning environment as such that the site will
be a landscape for future and extended learning. By creating an environment
that will promote and sustain continuous learning, it will make learning a part
of everyday life.