Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio Interiors Projects
HOMEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL
This Alabama public school was designed with three basic principles: to create an exceptional learning environment, to foster community interaction, and to set a standard for environmental sustainability.
The site is located adjacent to the community, but was separated on one side by a busy highway and the other by a steep ravine. The design solution created two main entrances, one by automobile, and the other via a pedestrian bridge over the ravine to the City's historic core. These routes physically and symbolically connect the school to its neighborhood, making clear the invitation to community participation.
Three simple and discrete volumes form the school building: the academic wing, media center wing and activities wing. The wings are carefully placed in the landscape so each piece reinforces a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Together, a learning environment is created that connects the inside to the outside, small spaces to larger spaces and the school to its community.
The building’s north-south orientation and basic massing maximize the advantages of prevailing winds and natural light. Enhancing these principles with a sophisticated building automation system, the school achieves cool daylighting in 95% of the building while using 38% less energy than a code-compliant school of similar size. In the spring of 2005, this building became the first middle school in the nation to receive LEED Silver certification. This was accomplished under budget and six months earlier than originally scheduled. Most importantly, the building has engaged the community, the faculty has embraced sustainability as part of its project-based learning curriculum, and the school is a great place to learn.
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