In Retrospect: Sunnyvale ISD Intermediate School

WHERE INNOVATION MEETS INTENTION

In the small east Dallas town of Sunnyvale, their high-performing schools and a significant population boom led to the need for an intermediate campus. The elementary was already at capacity even with portables at the high school.

Luckily, in 2017, a bond passed that allowed the district to develop a new, forward-thinking facility to support the growing district.

Local parents, teachers, and administrators collaborated on a design charrette with the WRA design team before shovels hit the ground. Several goals needed to be met and included:

·      Maximizing and activating every space for learning to occur

·      Adding outdoor learning areas

·      Promoting collaboration

·      A team-based approach to learning

·      Cultivating stronger teacher-student relationship

·      Sparking curiosity and a love of learning

·      Designing a space where kids actually want to be 

First, the design team eliminated the typical double-loaded corridors - usually filled with lockers, foot traffic, and noise - to focus on a flexible and collaborative learning environments.

Plans were drawn with an emphasis on enhanced circulation with three small learning communities (SLC) or “pods” In which a cluster of classrooms that face inward to open collaboration areas. Each pod houses a glass-enclosed break-out space for students to take a more focused approach.

Learning communities offer several advantages, such as a focus on relationships and team-style learning, prioritizing academic growth, an emphasis on vertical alignment, and the benefit of common language and shared routines.

Additionally, this community-style design also benefits teachers. Dedicated rooms allow shared lesson planning and provide a place to conduct research and best practices while encouraging focus and reflection on augmenting education.

“We spent three to five years prior to the design of this building getting our teachers ready because it’s doesn’t align with a traditional teaching method, noted Dr. Christi Morgan, the Director of Educational Planning at WRA. “You’re sharing students from third to fifth grade who are circulating and mixing a lot. The client must have certain teaching styles and curriculum that works with this design.”

A double-volume common area acts as the central hub connecting the SLCs, leading to the main attraction, a two-story twisty blue tube slide. At ground level, a library with movable bookcases, learning stairs, a display wall, and a reading alcove create an inviting environment.

To effectively bring sunlight into the expansive space, the design team got creative by adding vertical tubular skylights, which filter light through a specially designed tunnel that passes from the roof through the ceiling.

The open floor plan not only provides opportunities for mixing grade levels, but fluid movement between spaces, and improved visual safety and security.

Designing an environment where everything is observable allows for shared energy and incentivizes visual inquisitiveness between spaces. Each classroom and pod have wide interior windows, while second floor handrail cutouts invite curiosity and provide a sense of whimsy.

There are also dedicated spaces for art, music, and special education. Several lab rooms encourage experimentation, such as a creative maker space, STEM lab, and science lab. Outside, a garden provides access to agricultural education with plans for a bee farm and butterfly garden in the works.

In spring of 2023, students participated in an Engaged Learning Unit involving the care and keeping of chickens where they practiced empathy, working outdoors, and the care and feeding of animals while building mathematic skills.        

Sara Staley, Sunnyvale Intermediate School Principal, stated how much she enjoyed the new school. Specifically, she said, “The design at Sunnyvale Intermediate has created spaces and places for more frequent student collaboration and communication. Multiple small groups can be engaged simultaneously without interruption. Additionally, the strategic placement of multipurpose areas allows for a change of scenery during instruction. A favorite of our students is our patio on the second level."

The story of Sunnyvale Intermediate fuels our commitment to always inquire deeply when collaborating with clients. We're dedicated to delivering solutions that authentically mirror the aspirations and necessities of the district communities we're privileged to serve.

For more images, check out the project page here: Sunnyvale Intermediate School