Who Says Temporary Classrooms Need to Be Inadequate? And Ugly?

Renovations of historic school buildings often displace students into temporary, mobile and sometimes inadequate learning spaces for years at a time. Kris Celtnieks, a recent University of Oregon architecture graduate, has a thoughtful solution to school renovations - build a temporary, modular school nearby for use in the interim as construction takes place. In Celtnieks' master thesis work, he designed a prefabricated school that could be easily assembled and disassembled in order to make the transition period a positive experience for both students and teachers.

Entitled Relief School of Philadelphia, Celtniek's idea concentrates on providing temporary school rooms for the Julia R. Masterman School in Philadelphia, which was built in the 1950’s. As the building is a popular magnet school, it is overcrowded and in desperate need of a serious renovation. During the renovation, the students will need to be placed elsewhere so they can continue their eduction. Celtnieks’ solution is to build a temporary school near the existing school made out of prefabricated components that can easily be disassembled when the renovation is complete. This temporary school could then be used while another school is undergoing renovations.

The temporary school would be located on an empty lot near the existing school and would be elevated off the ground on a foundation of stilts. The school could even bridge over an existing roadway if more space is necessary. Prefabricated components would be used to construct a three-story building topped with an accordion-style translucent tent roof. The exterior is a tight envelope of multi-colored polycarbonate panels that allow daylight to flood in.

Inside, a cathedral-style atrium in the center holds the main corridors and staircases and pulls more light into the building while offering views of the old school as it is renovated. A tent roof overhangs the entire building to provide shade when the sun is high and let in winter light for more warmth. Additionally, the roof collects rainwater for irrigation of indoor plants and a geothermal heat pump helps heat and cool the building.

[via Inhabitat]