Pointview Elementary School Media Center

Westerville, Ohio

Firm

TRIAD Architects

Client

Westerville City Schools

Area

49,965 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$5,900,000

Completion Date

08/2016

Kate Horgan Photography

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Pointview Elementary was constructed according to the “open classroom” movement of the 60s and 70s. Movable walls provided little sound isolation and were difficult to operate; lack of windows and misguided ventilation made the rooms uncomfortable. The renovation gutted the interior, placed the media center in the middle of the building, and arranged classrooms around the edge.

The design was largely inspired by engagement sessions with students and staff. Students wanted everyone to feel welcome, so the door to the school office says “Welcome” in more than a dozen languages. The lighthouse feature in the media center anchors the supervisor’s desk, and the blue floor represents the ocean, complete with turtles, mermaids, and even a sea monster.
The theme continues through “Emma’s Glass Roof” (a hallway with a glass roof suggested by a student named Emma) into a new wing that terminates in a circular art room. The nearly 360-degree floor-to-ceiling windows have blinds that are remote-controlled, as does the opening in the ceiling that enables the room to double as a functional sundial.