Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
February 23, 2015
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
1. Introductions
100+
EMPLOYEES
200+
DESIGN AWARDS
300+
EDUCATION PROJECTS
#3K-12 DESIGN FIRM
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
2. Description of Project Structure
Fundamental Goals of the Project
Vision + Goals & Principles
Develop
then Confirm
Drive
the Planning
Project
Success
FACTS
VALUES
The Rock Creek Planning Team and the Architect develop Vision, Guiding Principles and
Focus Design Criteria.
Ed Spec.Criteria
The role of the Architect is to align the facts with the values.
Design Strategy
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
2. Description of Project Structure
Overall Schedule and Relationship between Ed Spec & Feasibility Study
Recommendation
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Good facilitators …
… work to move the project forward
… make space for every voice to be heard
… record and disseminate information
… assist the group in defining the consensus
3. Defining Roles
Community Outreach and the Design Team
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
3. Defining Roles
FCPS/RCC/Parents/Partners
Possible Attendees:
• Students
• Faculty
• Administrators
• Community
• Parents
• Educational Partners
• Community Partners
• Architects
• Engineers
• Maintenance and
Operations
• All stakeholders welcome
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
4. What is an Educational Specification?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
• An educational specification defines the programmatic, functional, spatial and environmental requirements of the educational facility.
National School Boards Association
• Educational specifications serve as the written documentation of the educators’ intent for program delivery and defines the physical parameters of the learning environment, both building and site.
CEFPI Guide for Educational Facility Planning
• Educational specifications describe the proposed educational programs, activities, area requirements, and the performance expectations of the proposed capital project.
IAC Procedures Guide
Educational Specifications Defined
IAC
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
A visionary document that
represents the way in
which students and the
community will engage in
education.
Convey a vision for the
school that will drive
decision making for the
duration of the project.
What can an Educational Specification be for Rock Creek?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Educational Specification Content
• Educational Philosophy Vision of the school system, educational philosophy, mission statement for the program, expression of values
• School DataStudent population, site information, special provisions, community information, etc.
• Program GoalsEducational goals of each instructional program
• Specific Program Activities and RelationshipsDetermine and define the functional need of the learning environment
• General ConditionsInternal building functional requirements such as HVAC, technology, windows and daylighting, accessibility, etc.
State Requirements:(per IAC Procedure Manual)
A. Project Summary
B. Project Background
C. Proposed Educational Programs and
Services
D. General Project Design Criteria
E. Existing Site Conditions
F. Proposed Site Requirements
G. Existing Building Systems Conditions
H. Proposed Building Systems
Requirements
I. General School Design Criteria
J. Individual Space Descriptions
K. Summary of Spatial Requirements (#’s)
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
• Sustainable materials guidelines
• Outdoor learning requirements
• Security guidelines
• Energy use guidelines
• Existing building assessment
• Community use guidelines
• Budget analysis
What else might be included?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
5. Progressive Educational Considerations
Learning takes place everywhere and anywhere
and all learners need the opportunity:
• to learn in the environment that best suits
their needs,
• to explore topics that are of interest to them
and
• to be challenged in a comfortable and
supportive environment.
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Clustered Classrooms
• Smaller learning communities create more personal
student relationships
• Embrace the beneficial outcomes of smaller schools
while maintaining the efficiencies
• Foster a sense of connection, ownership and privacy
within each cluster
• Shared common areas that provide learning opportunities
and flexibility
• Team teaching paired with cluster classrooms
Should students be in grade based clusters or is more flexibility beneficial?
How large should a student cluster be?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Flexibility
• Spaces that allow both traditional teaching and
active learning
• Physically flexible spaces which can be opened and
expanded
• Flexibility within each space to allow for a variety of
activities
• Movable furniture that can provide for storage and
also for zoning of spaces
How does furniture for learning differ from furniture for teaching?
What activities require spaces specifically designed for that activity?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Media Center Redefined
• Book storage is no longer the primary function of a
media center
• Support and facilitate access to information
• Areas to allow active hands on learning
• Facilitate skills such as communication, problem
solving and critical thinking
Is “Media Center” still a space or is more of an activity that supports ways in which students access information?
How many books does a media center need to store and have available for daily use?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Student Centered Spaces
• Support student choice in independent learning
• Incorporate student display and personalization
• Allow students to adjust and rearrange their
environment to suit activities.
How could spaces be shaped to allow safety and security while supporting student choice?
Could the dining room be redefined to create a student commons area, comfortable and inviting?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Sustainability and Environmental Literacy
• Ongoing relevance of Environmental Literacy
curriculum integration
• Reduction of energy load through building
configuration
• Behavior modification to reduce energy demand
load
• Program clues and triggers included in the design
of the educational spaces
How can sustainable teaching moments enhance overall engagement in education?
How are priorities between upfront costs and long term savings determined?
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
6. Trends in Special Education
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
7. Future Meeting Schedule
• Ed Spec Team meets every 2 weeks, Tuesdays from 9-11 AM for approx. 6 months• Feasibility Team will meet every 2 weeks once Ed Spec is completed.• FCPS Steering Committee will meet Monthly, their meetings will begin directly
following the Ed Spec meetings.
CHAPTER 1: VISIONING
Ed Spec Meeting #2: Visioning
1. Roundtable discussion of vision for Rock Creek
School
Ed Spec Meeting #3: Visioning/Benchmarking
1. Building Research
2. Possibly touring multiple schools in the local area and
discuss/collect feedback from group.
Ed Spec Meeting #4: Report from prior Visioning & Tours
1. G+P will compile feedback from visioning/tours and
develop Guiding Principles
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
7. Future Meeting Schedule
CHAPTER 2: TOPIC-SPECIFIC GOAL SETTINGDefine essential activitiesEstablish RelationshipsUnderstand Learning Activities
Example: AccessibilityExample: Sensory
CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPING THE PROGRAMCreating the organizational model (determining how spaces are arranged)Assign Spaces to functions
CHAPTER 4: PROGRAMMINGCodified program of each space in the building
Space SummaryRoom Data Sheets
Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
St. Coletta of Greater Washington1901 Independence Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 350-8680
New Construction: Completed 2006
99,000sf
70 students, ages 3-22
The nonprofit charter school St. Coletta serves individuals with
cognitive disabilities, autism, and physical disabilities. Guided by the
school’s philosophy that all children are special, MGA addressed
formal, functional, social and ecological concerns in the design, and
created a facility with such success that it is promoted as a national
model. The 99,000-SF building’s largest elements -- the entrance and
common facilities -- are located along Independence Avenue and
expressed as geometric pavilions clad in colorful glazed tile.
Instructional suites for 50-70 students are articulated as a series of
“houses” with private gardens and relate to the scale of the adjacent
residential neighborhood along 19th St. Internally, the houses front
onto a double-height common space called the “village green.” The
interior of each house is painted a different color, which becomes a
way-finding device and also helps the students identify with their
“community,” a vital part of the school’s teaching philosophy.
The program is an extension of the school's philosophy that stresses
the importance of building on and celebrating individual strengths. The
program at St. Coletta includes: functional academics, skills of daily
living, community based instruction, adaptive physical education, arts
education, computer skills and vocational training. Upon graduation
students earn a certificate of IEP completion in lieu of a high school
diploma. The therapies offered are:
• speech/language therapy
• occupational therapy
• physical therapy
• music and art therapy
• hydrotherapy
• assistive technology
• counseling
• social work services
• behavior management
• vision therapy
• autism resource services
• nursing services
• parent training
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Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Linwood Center3421 Martha Bush Drive
Ellicott City, Maryland 21043
(410) 465-1352
New Construction: Completed 2013
36,000sf
70 students, ages 5-21
This project required the design of a new facility which will be home to one of
the premier school programs for children and adults with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. Linwood Center was founded in 1955 by Jeanne M. Simons, who is
considered one of the pioneers in the field of autism. The new building
includes classrooms, a half court gym, a library and computer room, a full
kitchen with a lunchroom, occupational therapy rooms, speech and language
therapy rooms, and conference space. Exterior finishes include corrugated
metal siding, cement board lap siding and panels with aluminum canopies.
Building On Individual Strengths And Interests
Linwood bases its instructional program on the Maryland State Curriculum,
the Unique Learning System and the Howard County Public School System
Functional Academics and Life Skills Guide. Linwood’s program of instruction
addresses Maryland’s Common Core Standards and includes functional
academics, critical life skills, language and communication skills, social skills,
vocational training, fine and gross motor skills, and the development of leisure
and recreation skills. Subject areas include the following:
• Mathematics
• Reading / English Language Arts
• Physical Education
• Science
• Social Studies
• Health Education
• Career Development
• Fine Arts
• Personal Management
The cornerstone of the teaching process at Linwood is identifying each
student’s strengths and interests. Teachers plan activities that build on this
foundation, using strategies that include Positive Behavioral Supports and
reducing unwanted behaviors while teaching alternate desirable behaviors.
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Rock Creek Center, Frederick County Public Schools
Forbush School11201 Pepper Road
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031
(410) 527-9505
Renovation: Completed 2008
30,000sf
72 students, ages 5-21
The new school contains classrooms, staff offices, therapy spaces, and a
specially designed playground to meet the needs of children with ASD.
Ramps are incorporated into the main and playground entries. Classrooms
have accessible bathrooms and the rubber-padded linoleum floor system
installed in the activity rooms reduces impact injury and noise.
Universal Design Features
• Careful attention was paid to the proportions of spaces for both public
common areas and classrooms. Ceiling heights and corridor widths were
increased beyond code standards to accommodate the children’s needs.
• Bringing in natural light was an important feature of the design. New
window openings are introduced around the perimeter of the building to
allow each classroom to have daylight.
• A playful pattern of circular skylights helps bring natural light to the
common central spaces.
• Because children with ASD tend to be sensitive to the flicker associated
with fluorescent lighting, several types of indirect/direct energy efficient
fixtures were tested to select the most comfortable/flicker-free ones.
• The use of highly absorptive ceiling panels, quiet mechanical/air
distribution systems, and wall materials that minimize transmitted sounds
between adjacent spaces results in an acoustically comfortable
environment. Amplified noise, echoes and reverberated noise are minimal
despite the spaciousness of the place.
• Selecting sustainable materials and a calming uplifting palette of colors
was critical for the well-being of the students and staff. With a tight budget
of $130 sf, the project targeted a balance of green materials with low off-
gassing properties, durable/abuse-resistance, and cost effectiveness.
• A palette of 5 pastel colors was used in selecting colors for walls, floors
and translucent accent panels. Color and texture accentuate special
zones, identify key areas, create a flow between spaces, and soften the
rigidity of the box.
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