With an emphasis on the connection between the planning process and the end-result — a healthy, high-performing school facility — the award assesses how well a school facility supports the academic program of the school district, according to a statement by A4LE. In determining the winning institution, the organization conducts on-site interviews with students, school staff, community stakeholders and the project’s design team. A jury then evaluates the entire building process on the criteria ranging from community engagement and innovative programming to functional adaptability and creative site development.

All 2016 MacConnell award entries will be showcased at the A4LE Annual Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia held Sept. 29 through Oct. 2. Application information is available here.

Dr. James D. MacConnell is considered the father of educational facility planning, according to A4LE. MacConnell founded the Stanford University School Planning Laboratory in 1951, where he also served as director. The laboratory is now recognized as the first center of applied and fundamental research on integrating school construction with child development, curriculum and instructional methods. MacConnell was recognized by the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) in 1979 as Planner of the Year and received the Distinguished Service Award in Educational Administration from the American Association of School Administrators in 1981.

A4LE established the MacConnell award, its most prestigious award, in 1991 to honor MacConnell’s “significant contributions to educational facility planning and the organization,” according to a statement by A4LE. Winning projects exemplify the organization’s belief that great schools begin with communication and planning.

“School facilities recognized in this award program, might embody great architecture, but their successful components and characteristics were founded in an interactive process that engaged multiple stakeholders to create an educational environment that holds purpose and distinction within a community,” according to the organization’s website.

In 2015, the organization honored Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School in Greenville, S.C., designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Greenville, in association with Fielding Nair International, headquartered in Tampa, Fla. Opened in August 2014, the school was the district’s first STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) middle school, and is located adjacent to Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research. The three-story, 179,000-square-foot school serves 1,000 students through small learning communities, a research-based curriculum, and team teaching in flexible and adaptable spaces. It also features a variety of indoor and outdoor learning spaces that allow students to put STEAM education principles into practice.

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The three-story, 179,000-square-foot Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School, part of the Greenville County School District, takes a different approach to education, translating the typical teacher-centered classroom into an experiential, multidisciplinary program. Rather than offer a static learning environment, education is driven by problem solving, discovery and exploratory learning, and requires active engagement on the part of each student.

The design of the $30 million STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) middle school includes labeled, color-coded pipes that exhibit the flow and consumption of resources, while exposed beams, bracing and columns display the school’s physical properties. Glass-wrapped communications and power panels display technological functions, and a bio-retention pond is used for environmental lessons.

To further support this educational approach, the school’s flexible and adaptable learning spaces are similar to more professional research facilities, with a balance of studio, collaboration and lab space, according to a statement by A4LE. These six learning communities provide easy adaptability, allowing teachers and students to morph their environments daily. Through partnerships with local businesses and other agencies, students also have unique opportunities for engaged, project-based learning.

“Fisher Middle School represents a model of collaboration between the school, the community, local business and industry, and the architect and engineering firm,” said Dr. Burke Royster, superintendent of the Greenville County School District, in a statement. “That collaboration resulted in a facility that not only serves as an effective learning environment, but is, in and of itself, a learning tool.”

A multidisciplinary planning team collaborated on the facility’s initial programming and design, evaluating curriculum, long-range planning, technology, and important energy-efficient and environmentally friendly strategies, according to a statement by A4LE. The team included school district representatives, the design team of Greenville-based McMillan Pazdan Smith and educational programming consultant Fielding Nair International with offices throughout the U.S.

The 2015 James D. MacConnell Award Jury Chair Renee Alexander, AIA, of Bend, Ore.-based BBT Architects commented in a statement that Fisher Middle School and others considered for the honor reflect “the innovative school planning and design work that is moving beyond the traditional world of schools as we know them and inspiring transformation in education for tomorrow’s learners and leaders.”

Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School is the first school in the South Carolina to receive the MacConnell Award.
 

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Originally built in 1951, the Booker T. Washington K-5 STEM Academy was the result of a response against segregation and disentitlement in a predominantly African-American community. Thanks to the efforts of local advocates, funds were also raised to construct both a community center and library adjacent to Booker T. Washington, creating a celebrated landmark site, overcoming adversity and encouraging community partnerships.

More than 50 years after its founding, the school’s original structure had fallen into disrepair and lacked many modern educational amenities. In response, the community again spearheaded the design and construction of a new facility. Officials selected an interdisciplinary team including Chicago-based Cannon Design and Bailey Edward to create the new building. The resulting facility replaced the aging 225-student structure in a largely underserved community with a modern, LEED Gold certified 425-student academy.

Today, the Booker T. Washington STEM Academy project is a wonderful example of what can happen when education intersects with physical environment. In keeping with the STEM philosophy (a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics), the academy strives to educate the whole child in an exciting and stimulating learning environment. Booker T. Washington provides both a facility and a curriculum that help students think critically, ask questions, engage with both peers and educators, develop problem-solving skills and put science and mathematics into action.

The MacConnell Award recognizes the importance of a comprehensive planning process resulting in educational facilities that truly meet the needs of students, and faculty, while also serving the greater community. This prestigious design and construction award is presented to the architectural firm, school district, higher education institution, consultant and/or construction management firm whose project meets these requirements. Past recipients have included Missouri’s Joplin Interim High School, Marysville Getchell High School Campus of Marysville, Wash., and Lynwood High School in Bothell, Wash.

Though the James D. MacConnell Award is a great honor for the recipient, it also has a positive impact on the greater school design community. MacConnell Award jury chair, Renee Alexander, AIA, of BBT Architects Inc. commented, “The opportunity of participating in the 2013 MacConnell Award Jury has pushed me professionally to continue to grow, learn, and be better at what I and CEFPI do for the students in this world.”

Established in 1921, CEFPI remains the only worldwide professional organization whose principal purpose is improving the spaces in which children learn. The organization embraces a diverse group of professionals, all with the goal of building healthy, safe, high performing and sustainable learning environments that enhance both student and teacher performance, while also supporting community culture and vitality. The MacConnell Award was created in 1991 to honor the late member Dr. James D. MacConnell for his significant contributions to educational facility planning.

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