In judging this year's entries, the jury gave great weight to flexible facilities that reach out to the entire community. The designs should be inclusive, inspiring, efficient and forward-looking. Buildings should provide security and adapt well to their surroundings. The jury looked for several characteristics when selecting citation winners from the submitted projects:
- Community. The design should recognize that a school is a learning community that goes beyond K-12 education. That includes before- and after-school programs, such as childcare, and less traditional uses, such as banks, learning centers, and partnerships with businesses and the community.
- Durability. How well does the design wear visually?
- Environment. The design should take into account the relationship of the environment to education. How does the environmental design reinforce the educational program?
- Flexibility. The design should reinforce educational concepts, but recognize that they are changing and be flexible to those changes.
- Inspiration. Buildings should provide flexible spaces that help establish an inspiring education environment.
- Landscape. The landscape should be inviting, enhance the design and inspire the community. It should reflect the locale of the project.
- Longevity. How well does the design hold up? This refers to not just the materials, but how the design fits changing educational demands.
- Participation. The community - all stakeholders - should have a role in the design process.
- Security. The design should have more than just mechanical elements to enhance safety. The design itself should promote security.
- Technology. The design should look at more than just computers.
- Value. The design should provide the maximum educational bang for the buck - not only in bricks and mortar but also in spaces and how they relate to a more holistic view of education.
