Since the beginning of last year, everyone has seen the new transformation of the new Academic Building. From watching the machines tear about the facilities parking lot, to see the bricks put on the four story building. But does anyone know what is actually inside the building? Everyone has heard the rumors of the curving hall ways, new senior lounge, and the new global cafe but what is the inside of the building really like. We talked to head architect Trung Le, and Assistant Head of School Mr. Willard and had a personal interview with both. One major idea for the design of the building was making sure it wasn't like the other building here at PDS. Trung Le made it very clear that the design and layout of the building came from the Providence Day community, from talking to students, and teachers.
The first floor of the building sets the tone for the rest of it. It's packed with new areas unlike anywhere else on campus. The first ever campus area, other than the cafeteria will be on the first floor. Run by Flik, the cafe and eating area takes up the whole back right area of the ground floor. Next to the cafe is a new high tech theater. The new theater space is a very open space including a sliding wall if a class wants a quiet space. Ther is open area from the second floor looking down into the theater, and the coolest of all the seats can slide into the wall making the area one big open space. Closer to the entrance there is a new reception area, and classrooms now called “learning labs.”
The second floor of the building is a very basic floor. Other than the fact that in the back left of the building there is a student learning commons that has a ledge looking down into the theater, the rest of the floor is learning labs, the head of middle schools office, and a faculty Collab hub next to that.
The 4th floor has some very cool and tech savvy areas. The new Center for the Art and Science of Teaching and Learning is located on this floor. The new center is about the size of three learning labs with drawing walls, so students and teachers can close parts and turn them into separate classrooms, or keep it open and have lots of space. The center also has all white board walls and new furniture that is great for learning.
This past year, the talk around campus has been about the new building.
The third floor is basically the same as the second. The new senior lounge is on the 3rd floor located in the back right of the building, and it is about half the size of a regular learning lab. The lounge is so small because all the new spaces seniors are allowed to use in the new building as well, such as the cafe, outside seating area, and study areas on each floor. The cool part about these new study areas is that the rooms are at the corners of the building, where the windows look out all over campus. Mr. Willard said "from the study area on the top floor, you can look and see Overcash stadium and the football field."
COMMUNITY
An artist's representation of the new building. Image courtesy of Providence Day School.
What to look forward to in the New Academic Building
By Tim Yerkes
The first floor of the building. Image courtesy of Providence Day School.
Second floor of the new building. Image courtesy of Providence Day School.
Third floor of the new building. Image courtesy of Providence Day School.
Fourth floor of the new building. Image courtesy of Providence Day School.
The Charger, December 2017
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