By��Alexandra��Korestski��IIDA, NCIDQ,��and��William Wong,��AIA,��LEED AP��

How can school construction project teams tap into student creativity��and��make��their��project itself��a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience? In an East Coast STEAM school expansion build-out, school leaders and contractors, along with architects and interior designers from��Spacesmith, put the entire high school body in the driver’s seat to design their future.��

As designer and architect for this endeavor, the team learned to advocate for high school students in a new way. The process offers “a roadmap for student advocacy and championing schools by letting students be an integrated part of their facility planning and design,”��according to the local AIA chapter.��Designed��like��a STEAM workplace, the result — the����in the Brooklyn Navy Yard,��a New York City Public School��— is a “school built��with��students,��for��students,”��and a replicable process for high schools around the country.��

The roadmap for advancing student outcomes is anchored in the integration of curricular goals and enrichment planning with the design and construction of the school itself.��In this��case, the��school leaders envisioned their��STEAM Center to��resemble��a workplace,��an environment for��students��to��be treated as young professionals and��for them to��learn��skills and��hands-on trades that��are��applicable��to��real-world��occupations and industries.��Highlighting��and��elevating��all the inner workings that��comprise��the built environment, the project team could enrich a varied group of STEAM education subjects.��

Almost doubling its footprint on the full third floor of��the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s��Building 77,��the project creates��27,000 square feet��of bright and comfortable classrooms, shops, lounge areas, and administrative zones. The entire space is��customized for academic success��in the school’s three departments — Building Trade Systems, Computer Technology Systems, and Engineering — and eight curricular��pathways including carpentry,��cybersecurity��and manufacturing.����

Guided by the school’s distinctive, career-oriented curriculum, the project team and Brooklyn STEAM Center��sought��to engage students as emerging professionals. In��close collaboration with school leadership,��Spacesmith��helped shape the process around three key strategies that support student engagement through an interactive, hands-on approach:��

1. Student��pre-design input.��The design team spent a day at the STEAM center��observing��the general operations, student��arrival��and��departure schedules as the Senior and Junior classes changeover from morning to afternoon, revisiting each area at multiple points throughout the day to see how each space is used.����
2. Design��input.��The design team led two design charettes with students��representing��each of the pathways, which was the main driver in the design for the common space.����
3. Construction��input.��During the construction phase, the design team and general contractor hosted monthly tours for the Construction Technology��student groups.����

Through a collaborative design process with both students and staff at the Brooklyn STEAM Center, the��school’s��layout moves beyond the pure efficiency of a typical classroom model to create a vibrant, flexible environment. Biophilic elements and movable furniture support a range of uses, allowing spaces to shift with daily needs. Curved lighting reinforces this sense of fluidity—evoking waves and water in response to the Brooklyn Navy Yard setting—while introducing��a natural��softness and enabling flexible furniture arrangements without reliance on fixed point lighting.��

Student input played��a central role��in shaping quieter, less stimulating areas for focus and privacy. In response, the design incorporates two smaller-scale lounge areas, or “Focus Nooks,” that provide retreat while��maintaining��appropriate staff��visibility.��

Glazed classroom entrances enhance transparency and connection, with color film patterns derived from the STEAM Center’s identity of abstracted tool forms. These openings draw daylight deeper into��the space��and offer glimpses into each classroom’s unique character and activity.��

In contrast to Building 77’s industrial palette, the design��layers in��warmth and vibrancy through acoustic panels, lounge furniture, and other student-driven elements. A pegboard installation above the pantry cabinets maps Brooklyn and partner school locations, serving as an evolving, participatory feature. Its kit-of-parts—simple shelves and interchangeable components—allows students to adapt and contribute over time, creating a living installation where each class can leave its mark.��

To address noise during class transitions—a key concern raised by both educators and students—acoustic treatments are carefully integrated across floors, walls, and ceilings, supporting a more focused and comfortable learning environment.��

Materials throughout are school-grade and selected for durability, health, and minimal environmental impact, while also introducing a palette of organic, natural elements. Together with a range of varied, neuro-inclusive settings, the design supports the diverse ways students learn today. Each classroom is equipped with modular, highly flexible furnishings, allowing both students and instructors to adapt their environment to different teaching styles and modes of engagement.����

In these ways and more, the expanded Brooklyn STEAM Center reflects the vision and ambition of its students. It serves not only as a place of learning, but as an inspiring launchpad for future educational pathways and professional lives.������

Alexandra Koretski, IIDA, NCIDQ, is a senior associate at Spacesmith. William Wong, AIA, LEED AP,��joined Spacesmith as an architect and project manager.

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The new $151 million City College of San Francisco (CCSF) STEAM Building communicates its academic purpose almost immediately. From the outside, students and visitors see not just the interplay of sunlight on the building’s textured facade, they can also see directly into the facility itself—where science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics instruction is fully on display. Inside, the building offers a dynamic learning environment complete with the latest technologies and a rich color palette. ��

These thoughtful and impactful design strategies by integrated design firm SmithGroup are representative of the immense care and intention brought to every aspect of the building’s development. The SmithGroup team worked closely with CCSF officials, Kitchell construction management, and collaborative Design-Build partners at Rudolph + Sletten to deliver a technical, compact and challenging project at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and within a limited budget. The project challenged the team to think broadly and innovatively to connect art and science education in new and exciting ways. ��

Engaging and Listening ��

The 124,000-square-foot STEAM Building was part of an $845 million public bond effort to update City College instructional spaces and address aging infrastructure. CCSF administrators used part of the funding to prioritize STEAM education, modernize outdated infrastructure, and foster interdisciplinary knowledge to better prepare students for an evolving economy.  ��

The team of SmithGroup and Rudolph + Sletten was awarded to the project under the first progressive design-build delivery approach commissioned by the CCSF Community College District. The team was tasked with developing numerous programming, design and pricing options to maximize the college’s budget. To accomplish this, SmithGroup created design criteria using stakeholders’ priorities and institutional goals which developed into a survey tool that allowed faculty, staff, and students to vote on aspects of the design that best aligned with the criteria. The team also used brainstorming exercises to help university leaders to think more deeply about interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The approach gave stakeholders a sense of co-creation and ownership, but also helped identify spatial challenges and organizational opportunities.  ��

Prioritizing Needs ��

In addition to balancing constraints related to the pandemic and budget reductions, the team also faced the challenge of fitting all programs and spaces within the building’s compact footprint.  ��

“STEAM is a relatively rare typology for higher education and community colleges,” said Rosa Sheng, FAIA, director of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Higher Education Studio Leader for Smith Group’s San Francisco office. “While the STEAM interdisciplinary mindset is the goal, getting every department under one roof is challenging from a space and cost perspective.”  �į��

The project team and CCSF officials ultimately prioritized programs with the greatest infrastructure and space needs: Chemistry, Biology and 2D/3D Arts. The intent was to develop a highly transparent interdisciplinary hub for these programs while still welcoming the broader STEAM learning community. The solution was a simple structure to meet the efficiency of construction budget and schedule, paired with the design concept of stacking drawers. This allowed each floor’s interior composition to represent the building’s interdisciplinary nature. ��

The first floor focuses on shared instructional and collaboration spaces, while the second-floor houses art instruction, faculty offices and biology labs. Upper floors host integrated lab and lecture spaces for biology and chemistry. The project also introduced new tools and technologies. The Anatomy Lab now includes a cadaver room, there are new fume hoods in the chemistry lab, a greenhouse on the second floor for the Biology Department, and the Arts Department includes a kiln for the ceramics and sculpture programs, exhaust systems and chemical storage for printmaking, paints and materials. ��

Artful Aesthetics ��

The STEAM Building was envisioned as a radically welcoming, accessible interdisciplinary hub that provides safe and comfortable spaces for all users. It also had to meet the college’s strategic goals of cultivating curiosity, creativity and collaboration, while ensuring future-ready resilience.  �į��

This passion, shared by all project team members, is reflected through several thoughtful design strategies. For example, an Innovation Center on the first level opens to the outdoor plaza, inviting students and visitors into the building while showcasing the highly flexible makerspace and collaboration areas. To equip students for the careers of the future, the state-of-the-art lab and arts instruction spaces are designed for interdisciplinary education. Integrating welcoming spaces for individual and group study, tutoring and mentorship on all floors disrupts barriers to learning and engagement. ��

To further celebrate interdisciplinary learning, the team used “The Art of the Sciences” and “The Science of the Arts” approach to catalyze a shift in pedagogy. For example, the third-floor Anatomy Lab, which studies the human body from a biological perspective, is located above the figure-drawing studio, which celebrates the human body in art, explained Bill Katz, AIA, senior design principal and architect with SmithGroup. ��

“I love exploring the idea that the design of buildings on a campus can have a profound effect on interdisciplinary curriculum, and the sense of collected community that comes with it,” Katz said. ��

The team also developed a strategy in which fire separation doors on hold-opens allowed for each level to be interconnected with a feature staircase and student resource spaces. This smart interpretation of the code helped to create welcoming “heart spaces” that unified social zones on each floor. ��

“It was important to connect all four floors in a very intentional way, both physically and visually,” said Jason Campbell, Associate AIA, NOMA, associate and design lead with SmithGroup. “The centrally located open stair area and elevator core features a 4-story collage inspired by Diego Rivera’s ‘Pan American Unity’ mural, distilling the tones and hues used in the original fresco.” ��

The mural and its color palette serve as the foundation for the connectedness of arts and sciences throughout the building. Distinct orange, yellow and blue tones from the mural distinguish each floor to support wayfinding. The color theme is also expressed in the hallways, student resource spaces, open stairwell and restrooms.  �į��

Learn more about the CCSF STEAM Center, which opened in January, in the upcoming March/April digital edition of �鶹������.��

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INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue University has officially released renderings of the soon-to-be-built Academic Success Building, a $187 million facility that will bring classrooms, laboratories, dining, student housing and community-centered spaces to the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2025 and is slated for completion in May 2027. Indianapolis firm Browning Day will serve as the project architect, with support from national firm Perkins & Will. The project’s construction manager is Shiel Sexton, also of Indianapolis.��

The project marks the first construction endeavor for Purdue University since the institution split from Indiana University in summer 2024 as Purdue University seeks to develop a distinct downtown presence. Plans for the 248,000-square-foot building, which were approved by the University’s Board of Trustees in June 2024, include 15 stories of new construction, which will be neighbored by five other academic buildings. By bringing an additional facility to the intersection of West and Michigan streets, the University will further establish its presence in the urban core. ��

The new facility will include academic classrooms and laboratories together with housing for 500 students and the dining commons sized to serve 400 people. The futureproofed design anticipates the university’s evolving educational needs and will offer innovative career-ready programs. The design also incorporates a community element, as project-based learning centers will be included to offer Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEAM) programs for K-12 students.��

“Purdue University in Indianapolis is heavily focused on experiential learning and immersing ourselves into the community,” said David Umulis, senior vice provost Purdue University for Indianapolis, in a statement. “The Academic Success Building will create a welcoming arrival to the Indianapolis campus and serve as a thrilling way to provide our students, the Indianapolis area and our partners from around the globe with cutting-edge learning environments, study spaces, residential space and eat-in accommodations all under one roof.”��

The $187 million will be provided through a non-fee replaced debt, with an auxiliary housing dining fund of $105 million, $60 million in capital cash appropriation and $22 million in philanthropic funds. The project is one of multiple major construction initiatives currently underway across Purdue University, including the $73 million Zucrow High-Speed Propulsion Lab, set to debut this month, a new $149 million residence hall that will be completed in August 2026, a $160 million Nursing and Pharmacy Education Building that will open in December 2026, and the $168 million Mitch Daniels School of Business Building, which broke ground in September 2024 and also anticipates an August 2027 completion.��

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DALLAS—Architectural design firm KAI Enterprises has worked with general contractor Ratcliff Constructors on a replacement elementary school at the site of the former H.S. Thompson Learning Center. The new school, dubbed H.S. Thompson Elementary School, adds a contemporary environment to the Dallas Independent School District.

The $30 million school’s focus will be on the so-called STEAM subjects and will employ challenged-based educational techniques aimed at preparing students for practical experiences both in and beyond the classroom. The new H.S. Thompson facility encompasses 73,000 square feet of educational space for grades K-5. Seven science classrooms are included, as are various special educational rooms, outside play areas, arts classrooms and a new library and media center.

A multipurpose room and storage areas were also part of the architectural plan laid out by KAI. H.S. Thompson’s “active” spaces were designed such that they can be utilized during the day for educational purposes and are accessible for community use in the afterschool hours. A key part of this design aesthetic was the “cafetorium,” a combination dining commons and performance space.

KAI’s initial site work entailed master planning of the site as well as envisioning where a future middle school expansion can later be added. Then came the design of H.S. Thompson itself, which called for situating the library directly above the secured primary entry of the school. The double-height entryway allows for stunning views of Dallas’s downtown and the nearby Fair Park—and from the outside, the community can look back at H.S. Thompson as a paragon of a modern educational setting.

H.S. Thompson Elementary School is located at 5700 Bexar St., the exact same site as the demolished earlier school. The primary facade faces out onto Bexar Street, and the main ingress along that thoroughfare is a secured entryway situated prior to the administrative reception area.

“Our team sought to develop an environment for academic excellence by providing the students, staff and community with a 21st Century learning environment with innovative learning spaces that inspire the students and surrounding community,” Darren L. James, president of KAI Enterprises, said in a recent statement about the project. “We designed collaborative learning spaces distributed throughout the building, allowing the entire facility to become an active learning laboratory.”

KAI Enterprises, which was founded in 1980, works around the country in the design-build sector and is a certified minority-owned business. Under its corporate umbrella, the company entails subdivisions including KAI Design, KAI Engineering, KAI Build and KAI 360 Construction Services. Among the firm’s other school-related construction projects in the Dallas area are the Billy Earl Dade Middle School, also for the Dallas Independent School District.

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NEW YORK CITY — The doors to the Brooklyn STEAM Center have officially opened; a new hub to provide career technical training to students from eight local NYC public high schools in a rigorous professional setting.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) joined Deputy Mayor Glen, NYC Schools Chancellor Carranza and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams on Feb. 11, 2019 for the celebratory ribbon-cutting. ��

The innovative model, a partnership between BNYDC and NYC DOE, with support from Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, is the first-of-its-kind in New York City and takes the Career Technical Education model a step further, bringing students interested in cutting-edge manufacturing and design fields closer to companies in need of highly-skilled workers.

The $17 million Brooklyn STEAM Center, supported with $12 million from NYC DOE and $5 million from Borough President Adams, will serve as a learning center for up to 300 high school juniors and seniors interested multiple industries, including computer science, design and engineering, culinary arts, construction technology, and film and media.

The program seeks to help students develop skills and create pathways to careers in growing industries.

The 30,000-square-foot Brooklyn STEAM Center sits on the third floor of Brooklyn Navy Yard’s newly-renovated Building 77, featuring professional work spaces and equipment for each of the career pathways, including a professional kitchen, a sound stage, multiple computer labs, and construction and fabrication shops.����

The STEAM Center will advance a model for career and technical education that more closely ties industry professionals and employers to students and educators.

Students from eight Brooklyn public high schools will attend the STEAM Center for two-year programs during their junior and senior year, spending half of their time at their home high schools and spending the other half of their time at STEAM developing skills within one of five industry pathways. They will apply these skills directly by completing projects in a real-world environment, taught by teachers with experience in their respective fields.

Students will earn industry-specific certifications and develop relationships with leading industry professionals within the Yard through tours, interviews, job shadowing, and internships.

Upon graduation, these students will be equipped with the skills, networks, and portfolios needed to pursue their field of interest, whether through immediate entry into the workforce, furthering their education setting, or both.

The STEAM Center will work hand-in-hand with BNYDC’s Employment Center, which prepares local residents to apply for and secure jobs with Navy Yard tenants as well as provides internships to young people in several industries including manufacturing, media, design and more.

New York-based multidisciplinary design firm WXY was selected as the architect for the new learning center and began work on the new center in Fall 2018.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Lincoln School in Providence, an independent college preparatory school offering an all-girls educational program for grades 1st through 12^th, announced the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art STEAM building.

The new facility features a brand new two-story facade, 4,000-square-feet of interdisciplinary learning space, flexible breakout areas and a rotating art gallery.

The main goal of the project was to expand Lincoln School’s offerings as the nation’s only independent school for girls rooted in Quaker values with Rhode Island’s first-ever dedicated STEAM facility for girls.

Through the expansion, Lincoln is positioned to shift the gender balance of women entering STEAM fields. Not only does Lincoln offer a robust STEAM curriculum—including electives in robotics and computer science — but, they also go beyond the classroom to engage in Upper School partnerships with Brown’s School of Engineering, RISD’s School of Architecture, and The Steel Yard.

The STEAM Hub, designed by LLB Architects of Pawtucket, R.I., is quite literally a visual expression of the school’s mantra, “where tradition meets innovation”, according to Vice President of Shawmut Design and Construction, Ron Simoneau.

The addition features a dramatic glass curtainwall facing west with 20 vertical fins, or sun shades, spaced in such a way as to create rolling shade as the sun moves. The modern, curvilinear design allows people outside to see adjacent buildings through the new addition.

The new facility creates new agile classroom space for group collaboration and project-based learning, improve connectivity, all while making the facility more sustainable and resilient.

The chemistry, robotics, and physics rooms are highlighted by enlarged, dynamic group study spaces and a math/engineering collaborative workspace anchors the new addition. All classroom and study spaces are more open, connected and flexible for a myriad of teaching and learning modes. The kitchen was reconfigured to provide a direct flow from the dining room and student lounges to a new student/faculty study space along Butler Avenue that overlooks Blackstone Boulevard and Park.

��“Academic design and construction trends are certainly seeing a shift towards facilities that have stronger collaborative, living-learning, and interdisciplinary��amenities, and Lincoln’s new STEAM Hub does exactly that. The facility allows their faculty to guide students in interdisciplinary coursework that gives them the opportunity to learn, explore, and break new ground in their future fields,” said Simoneau.

��The project broke ground on July 1, 2017 and was completed less than a year later with a grand opening on May 3, 2018.

��

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Because unexpected tragedies happen globally every year, it’s important for schools — from elementary schools to universities — to take steps to prepare their campus infrastructure. For example, Typhoon Haiyan damaged more than 2,500 schools and affected 1.4 million children in the Philippines in 2013, according to the . Additionally, recent floods in Malawi affected hundreds of schools, disrupting the education of more than 350,000 children. What is clear from these statistics is that schools are vulnerable.

There are several different ways to look at resilience, according to the (ESCAP). However, a common element among definitions is the idea that recovery in a changing environment requires the capacity to withstand, absorb and adapt to shocks. For schools in various parts of the country, becoming better able to withstand disasters and adapt to shocks means being proactive to prepare infrastructure, now.

With that in mind, here are three ways to make K-12 and university buildings more resilient to natural disasters:

1. Identify Vulnerabilities

The Organization for American States (OAS) suggests that assessing risks and hazards is an important first step in improving school resilience. Less vulnerable structures mean protected investments, longer building lifespans and greater safety for students and teachers. Through the collection of basic structural and physical information of all structures, including details of location, and the analysis of data with regard to the ability to resist the effect of specific natural and manmade hazards, school officials can at least gain an idea of what risks and hazards exist. Consider what types of natural disasters are possible in your geographic area, and how the school’s structures would withstand those disasters if they occurred. The answers to these questions provide a valuable starting point in improving school preparedness.

2. Strengthen and Protect Buildings

Once you’ve assessed the most vulnerable areas of your structures, you have a good idea of what needs to change. Prioritize tasks based on what is most important to your school. Does the building where students spend the most time have glaring structural issues that would make it vulnerable to storm damage? Start there. Use funds to invest in projects that will add security and stability to your school. You may also wish to work with a disaster restoration contractor that can professionally evaluate your structures and offer solutions.

3. Understand Safe Construction

Along with increasing safety and security, the first two steps offer the added benefit of informing future building projects. Once you’ve seen where safety concerns exist in your current structures, it’s clearer how you can avoid those issues in new buildings. “Understanding what factors are driving unsafe construction practices will enable decision-makers to make targeted adjustments to planned investments to ensure the quality of new construction and avoid the creation of new risk, according to the World Bank. Likewise, understanding what vulnerabilities you’re facing may also warrant building emergency shelters of some kind.

As Vice President of Operations for DKI Commercial Solutions, Bill Robinson oversees disaster relief operations for commercial large loss in the U.S. is a remediation and restoration company that offers emergency restoration services for residential and commercial buildings.

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