This 50,000 sq.ft. school for 250 students grades 6-8 is a progressive learning environment that supports and enhances a culture of collaborative inquiry and exploration. The design of the school allows it to be as agile as possible, for maximum spatial flexibility, and options for the teachers. South Queens Middle School adopted an inquiry-based pedagogy incorporating projects with a multidisciplinary focus developed by teams of teachers.
The new school is comprised of three distinct wings: the Academic wing, Administration wing, and the Gym-Cafeteria-Music wing. Central to the Academic wing is the large ‘learning commons’ which accommodates conventional library elements enhanced by various digital media interfaces, and is surrounded by subject specific classrooms. This central learning commons is architecturally characterized by a ‘meandering street’ below a 35’ x 125’ double height space surrounded with clerestory windows to create a huge day-lit interior volume where students will formally and informally gather.
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