Nurturing the Whole Student
Marie Reed Community Learning Center
Marie Reed Community Learning Center
Our renewal of this 1970s elementary school stays true to its founders’ vision for a holistic community resource. While the Brutalist building was outdated and considered for demolition, we saw its potential for transformation. We pierced the fortress-like façade with large windows, created a welcoming new entry, and reconfigured the interior as a series of classroom neighborhoods grouped around common spaces.
In addition to the elementary school program, the Center houses partner organizations, including health clinics, a daycare, and a city swimming pool. We increased the separation between school and public functions to enhance security while keeping valuable neighborhood resources on the premises. The revitalized Center celebrates education as a cornerstone of community wellbeing.
What we now have is this big, beautiful space that is enriching the community and enriching the learning experience.
A History of Integration
Marie H. Reed was a strong proponent of school desegregation. In the 1960s, she helped develop a vision for a “community school” that would co-locate ongoing education and social services within primary schools. Her ideas influenced the first integrated school built in her neighborhood, which was named in her honor.
The Open-Plan School
The Center was originally designed as an open-plan school, with no walls separating classrooms. While this model encouraged student camaraderie, noise was a persistent issue. We used transparent panels to create distinct classrooms while maintaining visual connections and a spirit of openness.
Transformative Design
Many Brutalist-style buildings like the Center have not aged well. With thick concrete walls and small windows, they are often unpleasantly dark inside. We used daylight and energy modeling to determine where we could insert windows and skylights while minimizing glare and solar heat gain.
Saving Embodied Energy
We will always recommend reusing a building rather than replacing it. To demolish the Center would have wasted all the energy and materials used to create it –and then used more energy and materials to build anew. As we like to say, the greenest building is one that is already built.
Sustainable Design
The Center is LEED Gold certified. Sustainable features include a smart ventilation system, LED lighting, recycled and low-VOC materials, low-flow water fixtures, and landscape bioretention areas. A dashboard in the lobby displays the building’s energy use, showing students their impact.
