The Collaboratory
West Grove, Pennsylvania
Since its original 1928 construction, Avon Grove Charter School’s State Road Campus has experienced ongoing space constraints, resulting in no dedicated library or common area for its high school. Heckendorn Shiles Architects worked with the school to provide a 21st-century flexible instructional space—“The Collaboratory.”
The design envisioned a large, functional, dynamic space—part library, part media center, part presentation zone, part group work pods, and part bistro. Existing site and building constraints were addressed with a roof extension, clerestory windows, and communicating stairway, creating one long expanse. The “amphitheater” was conceived as a versatile design that marries the existing structure and new bistro to the flexible instructional area. The existing outdoor courtyard was upgraded and incorporated into the flexible space via an operable exterior glass partition.
The Collaboratory is showcased off the school’s main entry, demonstrating to visitors the priority of collaboration and exploration over instruction. Students learn and work together using ample whiteboard surfaces, flexible furniture arrangements, accessible library resources, and varying spaces and acoustics. The space also includes a central administrative conference room and IT workroom.
Additional Information
Cost per Sq Ft
$323.00
Featured in
2021 Educational Interiors Showcase
Interior category
Common Areas
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