With education facilities and construction at the top of local, state and national agendas, the search for vital information, successful ideas and best practices has never been greater. One of the pre-eminent sources regularly turned to by decisionmakers for almost two decades is American School & University's Architectural Portfolio.
Now in its 18 superscript th year, the Architectural Portfolio was groundbreaking when it was introduced in 1983 and continues to inspire new generations of education facilities as the premier resource for innovative school and university design and construction projects. The Portfolio competition has spurred many imitations, but the original is still the most influential and prestigious. To be awarded a citation in the Portfolio is to be recognized as among the best of the best in education facility planning and design.
As the largest issue in AS&U's 73-year history, this edition profiles more than 250 outstanding school and university projects, representing some of the most outstanding environments for learning. Two main honors, as well as a special recognition, were awarded by this year's jury:
- The William W. Caudill Citation - the top K-12 honor - was presented to Taconic Hills Central School, Craryville, N.Y. The 350,000-square-foot high school was designed by Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning.
- The Louis I. Kahn Citation - the top post-secondary honor - was awarded to GateWay Community College, Center for Health Careers Education, Phoenix, Ariz. Gould Evans Affiliates designed the 76,000-square-foot facility.
- A Special Citation was awarded to Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Early Childhood Education Center, Scottsdale, Ariz. The 560-student pre-K facility was designed by DLR Group.
You can view these three primary award winners beginning on p.14. Additional citations can be found at the start of each respective category. This year's competition also includes a new category - Landscape Architecture - that features outstanding exterior education environments.
Each year, AS&U gathers some of the most prestigious education administrators and architects in America to serve as jurors for the Portfolio competition. For two full days, the jury pores over hundreds of projects - selecting two primary citation winners, category citation winners, and other outstanding school and university projects. The number of projects included in this year's sourcebook offers you the largest compendium of innovative education architectural ideas ever compiled.
A heartfelt thanks goes to this year's exceptional jury - Ron Bugg, Joe Licata, Joe Martinez, Steve Parker and Arlis Swartzendruber. The sacrifice in time and energy made by these professionals is greatly appreciated. To meet the jury and read their commentary regarding the selection process, turn to p.10.
Most of all, thanks to the architects that contributed their innovative ideas. Through the sharing of this vital information, schools and universities have the resources to further raise the bar as the next generation of learning environments are planned, designed and constructed.
We hope you enjoy the issue in your hands and find the information presented invaluable as you plan future construction projects. In addition, this year's projects also will be available for viewing on the Internet at www.SchoolDesigns.com, the online version of the Architectural Portfolio, as well as its sister competition - the Educational Interiors Showcase. With hundreds of projects from this and previous years available for review and analysis, it is the most comprehensive online resource for education design and construction projects.
About the Author
Joe Agron
Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher
Joe Agron is the editor-in-chief/associate publisher of American School & University magazine. Joe has overseen AS&U's editorial direction for more than 25 years, and has helped influence and shape national school infrastructure issues. He has been sought out for comments by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, ABC News and CNN, and assisted with the introduction of the Education Infrastructure Act of 1994.
Joe also authors a number of industry-exclusive reports. His "Facilities Impact on Learning" series of special reports won national acclaim and helped bring the poor condition of the nation's schools to the attention of many in the U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Education and the White House.