West Woods Upper Elementary School

Farmington, Connecticut

Firm

JCJ Architecture

Client

Farmington Public Schools

Area

132,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$21,800,000

Completion Date

07/2002

The common areas of this school are designed to support small learning communities—networks of students, teachers, support staff and parents. Although the New England climate made a campus plan undesirable, the school is designed as a series of individual buildings connected by transparent connectors. Classrooms, and guidance and support rooms are grouped in eight clusters that can support two- and four-teacher teams, creating a transitional environment from elementary to middle school.
Each cluster has a commons with movable furniture, display walls and ceiling-mounted projectors. Two of the four classrooms in each team have a movable partition to facilitate large-group instruction, and each classroom has an island that provides areas for small-group work within the classroom proper. Daylight and greenery are in abundance in all areas of the school—students are never out of view of the woodlands preserved on site.
As a community resource, the separate building components allow easy, controlled access to the cafetorium, gymnasium and media center. The wide lobby corridor has been used for board of education meetings and other community events.

“Cluster plan breaks scale down to elementary-age children. Spaces for small-group and project work show attention to research. Building materials are warm and inviting.”–2003 AP jury