Rockford Public School District 205, Elementary School Prototypes

Rockford, Illinois

Firm

CannonDesign

Client

Rockford Public School District 205

Area

86,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$18,000,000

Completion Date

07/2018

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Design Team: CannonDesign: Stuart Brodsky – Project Director, Robert Benson – Design Principal; Architecture: Darren Poon, Eric Wyszkowski; Mechanical Engineering: Keith Hammelman, Javier Madrigal; Electrical Engineering: John Economou, Kassam Masters, Sarah Bower; Lighting Design: Raisa Shigol; Plumbing/Fire Protection: Andrew Grabowski; Structural Design: Justin Holmes; Cost Estimating: Mike Hepp, Bill Grill, Gerry Horner, Bryan Knapp; Additional Architecture Team Members: Geoff Walters, Ronald Harrison, Marion Lawson, Keri VanSant, Mary Cavanaugh, Sanja Kuntz, Raquel Morales, Nicole Wiznitzer, Christopher Defosset; Additional Engineering Team Members: Pedro Tenorio, Tasnim Tanveer, Justin Holmes

Children are a segment of the population with zero political power other than by proxy. The design team for Rockford Public School District’s new K-5 prototype school sought to change this dynamic by empowering students and incorporating them into the design process. The resulting Rockford prototype stands as an encouraging example of a school designed with, not for, children.

During visioning, the team decided to focus on empowerment of choice as a central theme of the design concept after learning about the at-risk children among the student population. A town hall is incorporated into the plan and serves as the heart of the school by efficiently co-locating the gymnasium, café, art room and library. Dedicated staff hold morning group sessions for students in this safe space to discuss challenges and successes at the school. The town hall is surrounded by grade-level learning communities specifically designed to the needs of the age groupings. The creation of multiple hubs for connection throughout the rest of the building enhances the sense of community and promotes activity-based learning.