These pictures are the latest computer generated drawings of the new building set to open August 2010.
Main entrance of the building 
South side of the building
North-West side of the building
North-East Side of the Building
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Building Design Plans
Main entrance of the building 
Thursday, January 15, 2009
School Design information
Located on a 27-acre site, this new Pre-K through grade 8 facility will replace several smaller classroom buildings and portable classrooms.
Classroom clusters are joined together by naturally day-lighted common spaces that allow for group work as well as breakout space. Rooms for special services are located at the core of the building near stairs for easy access by all students and staff.
A full sized gymnasium, cafeteria, stage, art and music room are also provided. The administration suite of offices is located at the main entrance to allow staff to control security. Adjacent to the main entry are the integrated library, discovery lab and computer lab which will contain the most current technology and resources.
The new school will incorporate a geothermal mechanical heating and cooling system as well as a daylight harvesting control system. The school is oriented on the site to maximize daylight collecting. All teaching spaces will have natural daylight and views of the impressive landscape.
Building Committee Statement/Goals
When the building committee first started work it considered the following statement to direct its initial efforts:
The school in Durham has a great responsibility to meet the unique needs of the town's children. It is the only school in town, one in which the children spend nine of their thirteen years of public school, that sees them from their first day of school through to adolescence and is the center of their community.
These demands require a school facility that is dynamic, engaging and that supports and inspires the intellectual and physical growth of its students. The school design will incorporate:
*Technology that brings the world to Durham and takes Durham to the rest of the world. Utilizing wireless and mobile technology like laptops, interactive technology like Smart boards and digital projectors and multi media technology for music, video and animation, the new school will provide the opportunities to Durham children previously limited to larger or more affluent communities.
*Spaces that meet the developmental needs of five year olds and fourteen year olds in equal measure, that are flexible enough to meet the fluctuations in enrollment from one year to the next and that support the emphasis on collaboration and community that are inherent in a K- 8 school.
*Performance spaces and community areas that accommodate everything from an intimate audience to a community gathering. Weekly assemblies celebrate student learning, student work and recognize individual and community achievements. Students perform plays, dramatic readings and oral presentations to demonstrate understanding and inform and educate others.
*Room and resources for experimentation, discovery and product development. Learning by doing, by creating solutions to problems and testing hypotheses, engages children and leads to higher level thinking skills. We provide opportunities for children to apply their knowledge and skills in real life contexts through project based learning.
The school in Durham has a great responsibility to meet the unique needs of the town's children. It is the only school in town, one in which the children spend nine of their thirteen years of public school, that sees them from their first day of school through to adolescence and is the center of their community.
These demands require a school facility that is dynamic, engaging and that supports and inspires the intellectual and physical growth of its students. The school design will incorporate:
*Technology that brings the world to Durham and takes Durham to the rest of the world. Utilizing wireless and mobile technology like laptops, interactive technology like Smart boards and digital projectors and multi media technology for music, video and animation, the new school will provide the opportunities to Durham children previously limited to larger or more affluent communities.
*Spaces that meet the developmental needs of five year olds and fourteen year olds in equal measure, that are flexible enough to meet the fluctuations in enrollment from one year to the next and that support the emphasis on collaboration and community that are inherent in a K- 8 school.
*Performance spaces and community areas that accommodate everything from an intimate audience to a community gathering. Weekly assemblies celebrate student learning, student work and recognize individual and community achievements. Students perform plays, dramatic readings and oral presentations to demonstrate understanding and inform and educate others.
*Room and resources for experimentation, discovery and product development. Learning by doing, by creating solutions to problems and testing hypotheses, engages children and leads to higher level thinking skills. We provide opportunities for children to apply their knowledge and skills in real life contexts through project based learning.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New Construction Fence Installed
Today was very exciting for the students at Durham Elementary School. The new construction fence began to be installed at the new school site. Construction workers installed the fence running from route 9 to the property behind the school. Please continue to read this blog to see what is happening next.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)