Early Childhood Education
What’s Master Planning? Slate Upper School Is a Good Example of the Process
Early stage master planning for the design and construction of a building or site is a highly collaborative process that puts the project on the right trajectory for success. It involves everything from early budgeting, to coordinating the work of experts like landscape architects and civil engineers, to working sessions with the client. “Laying the…
Read MoreTrinity Baptist: 6 Steps to the Optimal Design
We are proud of the exceptionally talented architects and designers on our staff. But it takes more than just talent to produce a design that fully meets a client’s needs. We’ve learned in our many years practicing architecture that the best way to achieve a successful outcome is to follow a thorough initial process for…
Read MoreMore Program Space and a Cohesive Campus for Trinity Baptist
Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven, CT, serves a diverse urban population and has a fast-growing congregation. In fact, the church has flourished to the point that at the time they reached out to us, it had outgrown the multi-purpose program spaces that supplement the main sanctuary. To address this issue, church leaders formed a…
Read MoreSlate School: A Virtual Tour
As part of the 2020 Sustainability Week at AIA Connecticut and for the CT Green Building Council’s annual site tour, we were asked to guide a walking tour of Slate School. Due to the current health regulations, this has been postponed. As a small teaser, we are featuring a recent video of drone footage prepared…
Read MoreHow Student Feedback Confirmed a School Building Design
If you want to know if a building’s design meets all the important criteria, ask the experts. In the case of a pre-kindergarten building, the experts are the children who play and learn in the space. So, that’s who we consulted on a school building project in southern Connecticut. Greenwich Academy is an…
Read MoreDouble Duty: How We Blended Education and Accommodations
One of the great thrills in architecture is when we’re able to create a design that leverages one structure for multiple purposes. We had that opportunity when we were asked to create a unique building for a local independent school. Greenwich Academy is a college preparatory day school for girls. The campus sits on nearly…
Read MoreHow to Design a Natural Playscape
As children, the first lessons we learn are about the natural world around us. And those lessons are important, because they become the framework for much of the learning that follows. That’s one of the reasons nature themes are so prevalent in childcare and early education settings. This includes outdoor play areas, where it seems…
Read MoreHelping Young Minds Bloom with an Educational Greenhouse and Gardens
Slate School is an independent elementary school in North Haven, CT. Its 25-acre parcel is a beautiful plot of land, with both open meadow lands and forest. When school leaders approached us to design the school building, they expressed their vision of capitalizing on this incredible setting and having nature play a central role in…
Read MoreWhat Goes Into the Design of a New Elementary School Campus?
One of the most important characteristics for young students to possess is curiosity. For one elementary school in North Haven, CT, the notion of exploration is central to its mission: “Slate School cultivates creativity, fosters ingenuity, and inspires a deep passion for lifelong learning and discovery. Slate School’s priority is that each child’s innate and…
Read MoreFrom Design to Construction: How Slate School Was Built
Every design and construction project is unique. How well the parties involved address a project’s particularities is a key element in its success. Our work at Slate School in North Haven, Connecticut, is a perfect example of how effective collaboration yields exceptional results. In particular, our interaction with the construction team helped bring the client’s…
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