by Jennifer LeClaire

New schools are springing up across the United States with design that doesn't go "by the book." These schools for grades Kindergarten through 12 are responding to meet new community demands or simply to replace aged facilities.

Forty-five percent of the nation's elementary schools were built between 1950 and 1969, according to ZweigWhite, a market research firm. And enrollment in public K-12 schools will continue to rise through 2012, predicts the National Center for Education Statistics.

All this presents an opportunity to design buildings that not only meet the physical need for an educational center, but also the changing needs of 21st century students. Award-winning K-5 Greenman Elementary School in Aurora, Illinois, could serve as a prototype for new school construction in the years ahead.

The 62,000-square-foot (5,800-square-meter), 700-student school, which sits on 4.1 acres (1.6 hectares) of urban land, was designed by Architecture for Education. Greenman Elementary demonstrates how community participation and beyond-the-textbook thinking can lead to a facility that serves multiple purposes, stimulates learning, and makes room for healthy social interaction — all while meeting a tight budget.   >>>

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Greenman Elementary School in Aurora, Illinois, by Architecture for Education, north elevation. Photo: Mark Ballogg Greenman Elementary library. Photo: Mark Ballogg   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.