Topic: Performing Arts High School

I chose this topic because I was somebody who hated high school.  I dreaded going and I felt like I would just sit there, day dreaming while my teacher stood in the front of the class, lecturing away.  I want to design a high school that I would want a high school to be. I am choosing a Performing Arts High School to make it even more interesting for myself.  I was exposed to performing arts at a young age.  My parents would take me to Broadway musicals in New York City and I fell in love with the arts and developed an appreciation for it.  I think it’s fantastic when students discover they have a passion for the arts and decide they want to go that direction career wise. 

My design focus is on the students and what they want/need in a learning environment.  What are the major changes that I would make in my high school if I had the chance to make them?  I had no control over my learning, I couldn’t pursue my interests, and it wasn’t a good workplace-it felt like a prison.  I want to give students the freedom that I didn’t have.

I need to think of the users of the space and what they need.  The students need to be engaged in the learning process.  So spaces need to captivate and inspire.  Everyone learns better in different ways, so spaces need to be flexible so that all needs are met.  These students are creative.  The learning environments should be playful and bright.  There’s no reason for a school building to be bland and boring.

Classrooms for the areas of study: including English language arts, history-social sciences, mathematics, physical education, science, etc.-Specialized spaces equipped for art, music, theater classes and dance studios-recital hall, music practice rooms, art studios, costume and scene shop, rehearsal spaces, performance hall, lobby, concessions, coat check, make-up/dressing rooms, dance studios, exhibition gallery, design lab for theater production-Other school requirements and things to keep in mind: library/media center, computer lab, administration offices, lunch room w/ kitchen/dish washing, student/teacher restrooms, entryways, circulation, utility/service/storage, health-nurse, wifi, rooms to accommodate massive servers for all of their student files & be able to handle all of the technology being used, more energy efficient, more windows, less lights, no more regular keys-cards to swipe in, motion activated lights, sinks, toilets and dryers, easy to clean surfaces, less lockers because less books, acoustics

I would like to add areas where the students can go to unwind and socialize and be creative.  I don’t want the students to feel like when they go to school they’re trapped with nowhere to take a breather.  The design of the interior needs to represent the students.  It needs to be expressive and full of motion.  The entrance of the building not only needs to be a way for students to enter the building.  It’s for the community as well, when they attend performances.  This needs to be more of a grand entrance, doing more than just serving the purpose of an entryway.