by Jbs051210 j3 — May 14, 2010—The 2010 winners of the annual School of the Future Design Competition, centerpiece of the School Building Week, were announced during a recent award ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) and the National Association of Realtors in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Institute of Architects, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and more than 20 other associations and private companies, the annual competition challenges middle school teams to think creatively as they design tomorrow’s green schools to enhance learning, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive, and engage the surrounding community.
The Award of Excellence went to Barnette Magnet School, Fairbanks, AK. Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, Old Lyme, CT, captured second place. Seneca Middle School, Macomb, MI, was the third place winner. Awards of commendation were presented to Heritage Year Round Middle School, Wake Forest, NC; Roskruge Bilingual K-8, Tucson, AZ; Howard University Middle School/Math & Science, Washington, DC; and Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools, New Orleans, LA.
CEFPI says Barnette Magnet School’s first-place project demonstrated complete cultural and environmental integration, utilizing imaginative integration of the Greek primordial elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire in the four building wings. The project, SubZero Middle School, met the unique climatic and cultural challenges represented by their location in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The Barnette students created a “Learning Signature,” bridging past knowledge with today’s community for a greener future, fully acknowledging that a school, and more specifically a green school, is not just a physical element, but rather becomes a cultural center of itself and its surrounding community. The students commented that true sustainability will not happen until each individual embraces and exhibits truly green practices, not only for the environment but for each other.
Details and photos of the other winning projects are available on the CEFPI Web site.
