School Design Institute: Fall 2007 Report

AAF Great Schools by Design Fall 2007 School Design Institute 2

__________________________________________________________________American Architectural Foundation

The American Architectural Foundation (AAF) is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to

educate individuals and community leaders about the power of architecture to transform lives

and improve the places where we live, learn, work, and play. Through numerous outreach

programs, grants, and educational resources, AAF inspires people to become thoughtful and

engaged stewards of the built environment.

AAF’s Great Schools by Design program aims to improve the quality of America’s schools by

promoting good design, encouraging collaboration in the design process, and providing

leading-edge resources that empower schools and communities to transform themselves.

Throughout the country, Great Schools by Design engages superintendents, architects, teachers,

parents, citizens, students, and local government officials in a far-reaching conversation about

what must be done to improve the places where children and adults learn. At AAF, we strive to

help create schools that both support student achievement and serve as centers of community.

For more information, please visit us online at www.archfoundation.org.

1799 New York Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20006

Phone: 202.626.7318

Fax: 202.626.7420

Email: [email protected]

www.archfoundation.org


AAF’s school design institutes aim to bring new knowledge to superintendents and other public officials

involved in the construction and renovation of schools in order to help improve the design of schools in the

21st century. This program offers decision makers an opportunity to reconsider the setting in which

education is delivered. Recent advances in technology, educational theory, and our understanding of how

students learn has led to new ideas about how our schools should be designed and built.

We welcome your interest in this report of findings from the Fall 2007 School Design Institute which was held

in conjunction with the 51st Annual Fall Conference hosted by the Council of the Great City Schools. We

hope you will find it to be a valuable resource. This document reflects the comments and

recommendations related to specific projects presented by the school officials of four districts: Broward

County Public Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Hillsborough County Public Schools and

Miami-Dade County Public Schools. District officials were invited to work with four national experts

specializing in the field of K–12 design and education. The process was highly collaborative and involved

the school officials in discussion about the benefits of good design and planning so that they could lead

their districts in supporting innovative solutions. In the pages ahead, you will read about each major

development project presented by the districts.

This report chronicles each school district’s submission with a project description, demographic information

about the community and the school district, a list of the recommendations resulting from review by the

entire group, and biographies for all participants. Embedded in the comments and design

recommendations are best practices regarding a range of issues, such as school size, technology, trends in

learning, siting and location, and public process and community-school collaboration. It is hoped that the

reader will learn from these examples and use this information as a guide when considering school design

challenges.

The American Architectural Foundation appreciates the generous support of Target, our presenting sponsor

for Great Schools by Design. AAF would also like to acknowledge support from its many other sponsors and,

in particular, the contributions of the resource team members and school officials. We look forward to

continuing to contribute to the national discussion about the importance of creating learning environments

that promote student achievement and better serve communities.

Ronald E. Bogle, Hon. AIAPresident and CEOAmerican Architectural Foundation


Fall 2007 School Design InstituteA REPORT OF FINDINGS

__________________________________________________________________Table of Contents

Overview

Broward County Public Schools, Florida Page 7

Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Ohio Page 12

Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida Page 21

Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Page 28

Biographies of Participants Page 38


_________________________________________________________________Overview

GREAT SCHOOLS BY DESIGN

Great Schools by Design is a national initiative of the American Architectural Foundation (AAF)

that seeks to improve the quality of America’s schools and the communities they serve by

promoting collaboration, excellence, and innovation in school design. Throughout the country,

Great Schools by Design engages superintendents and public school officials, architects,

teachers, parents, residents, students, local government officials, and other stakeholders in a far-

reaching conversation about what must be done to improve the places where children and

young adults learn. AAF strives to help create schools that both support student achievement

and serve as centers of community.

Each day across the United States, more than 59 million students, teachers, and education

employees spend considerable time in the nation’s 120,000 school buildings. Unfortunately, too

many of these schools are aging, crowded, and in need of repair. These pervasive conditions

negatively affect children’s ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach. With school enrollment

forecast to increase at record levels through 2013– and spending on school construction,

renovation, and maintenance expected to total nearly $30 billion annually – the need to

transform our schools has never been more urgent.

It is essential that the school district interface with the community. Educational facilities should

be built for adults as well as children to support lifelong learning—and for community residents as

well as school teachers and administrators. The point is to look beyond the school building and

the school site and consider how the facility can provide benefits to the entire community.

AAF brings a variety of school design stakeholders together through such events as the National

Summit on School Design and forums on specific topics: Design for Learning; Building Schools,

Building Communities; and Growing the Green School Design Movement. In addition, school

design institutes are conducted for districts around the country to help decision makers learn

about the most innovative options for school construction. AAF is working with its partner,

KnowledgeWorks Foundation, to produce a video library of best practices in school design. The

first award-winning video, “Schools as Centers of Community: John A. Johnson Elementary

School,” has received wide national exposure. A second video, “Schools Designed for Learning:


The Denver School of Science and Technology,” was released in December 2006. Another video

on sustainable design for schools will be produced in 2008.

SCHOOL DESIGN INSTITUTES

Since the inception of the Great Schools by Design program in 2004, more than 80 school

superintendents and public officials from across the country have participated in the Great

Schools by Design program. AAF’s goal is to help school officials achieve an educational vision

for their district through a greater understanding of their role in guiding the design of

educational facilities. A special ongoing commitment has been undertaken to assist the

Mississippi Gulf Coast communities in recovering from the hurricane devastation of August 2005.

In a School Design Institute, small groups of school superintendents and other officials discuss

critical school development issues in their districts with a team of national experts in design and

planning. This service is offered at no cost, although contributions to the foundation are

accepted. (The program is presented through a partnership with Target and through other

grants and contributions. The program is endorsed by the American Association of School

Administrators and the Council of the Great City Schools.)

Once an invitation to participate is accepted, the AAF program director works closely with the

superintendent and staff to help ensure that they have a valuable learning experience. The

School Design Institute typically includes a get-acquainted dinner with a keynote address on

design excellence and major innovations in the development of educational facilities.

Generally, work sessions span a day and a half during which time each resource team member

discusses their area of expertise and each school official presents a project for review and

comment. The small group format encourages informal and highly interactive discussion.

Participants identify critical design issues and creative strategies for implementation. The work

sessions provide a unique opportunity for school officials —and a rewarding learning experience,

as noted in the many testimonials of previous participants.

AAF published the Report of Findings from the National Summit on School Design held in the fall

of 2005 in Washington, D.C., in partnership with KnowledgeWorks Foundation of Ohio. Former U.S.

Secretary of Education Richard Riley participated in the Summit and continues to make the case

that schools must be designed for the 21st century.


ABOUT THE PROCESS

AAF’s Great Schools by Design program sponsors School Design Institutes to provide advisory

services to school districts across the county that are dealing with challenging school design and

planning issues. The resource team is composed of national experts chosen for their expertise in

dealing with the types of design issues presented at the institute. The range of expertise generally

includes design and planning, construction management, community engagement, and

sustainable design.

School officials submit a project summary that defines the project for which they are seeking

review and comment. In addition, they provide a snapshot of their districts so that the project

can be reviewed within the context of the district’s overall needs and strategies. Along with the

project summary, each superintendent presents a series of questions that define the issues to be

addressed by the resource team. In this way, the experts understand what the superintendents

hope to accomplish.

Discussion during the session is informal and includes everyone’s participation on each project;

the resource team and the school officials all review and comment on each project. The broad

range of design issues associated with the individual projects generally benefits all participants.

To encourage excellence in design so as to help improve student achievement and better serve

the broader community, participants consider a range of issues relevant to educational facility

planning and design.

An outline of the recommendations for each project follows the project summary and

demographics for each participating district. Biographies of all participants can be found at the

end of the report.


_________________________________________________________________Broward County Public Schools

Michael Garretson, Deputy Superintendent

Claudia Munroe, Executive Director, Design Services

PROJECT SUMMARYElementary School “Z”Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

The Broward County School District is solving

future student growth objectives by

developing model prototype standards in a

fast-track building program. Needing schools

with a service core, capable of supporting

expanded teaching spaces as a result of

slowing demographic growth but more actual

classrooms due to class size reduction, the

district is aggressively relying on new,

compact, flexible prototype models.

These next generation elementary schools are

designed as a ‘kit-of-parts’, which can adapt

to any site, respond to changing curriculum,

and address environmental concerns. Schools

are organized into logical, compact

educational clusters with classrooms,

cafeteria, multi-purpose, music, art, media

center and administration modules.

Connectors and gateways are used to

accommodate site variations and join the

pieces together in a complete building

assembly. Safety, supervision, accessibility,

community access, infrastructure and

Neighborhood plan and elementary school site

orientation are design elements that are easily

incorporated in each ‘site-adapt’ application.

Project cost is minimized through the continual

refining of each model and re-use of the

designs.

One such award-winning prototype

elementary school in design by Song +

Associates, Architects is the Broward School

“Z” project, located at the intersection of Nob

Hill Road and Pine Island Road in the City of

Parkland, Broward County, Florida.


Designed in a triangle model, the classrooms

surround an internal, sunlit courtyard with the

media center and the administrative offices

across the front to act as a single point of

entry that prevents anyone from entering the

school without first checking-in. The 2 stories

of classrooms form 2 legs of the triangle.

Inside are the cafeteria / multipurpose room

with a traditional stage and back stage

dressing room. The added feature is the

outside stage in the middle of the courtyard,

linked to the backside of the inside stage by a

door. The corridor will have bright colors and

open vistas. Classrooms will be

technologically fitted with audio and visual

state-of-the-art support.

Project Features

● K-5

● 10-acre site

● Phase I – 640 student capacity

– 103,000 GSF

● Phase II – 320 student capacity

– 22,000 GSF (as needed)

● Core to support 960 students, including

cafeteria – multipurpose, stage, food service,

media center, internal courtyard for

educational opportunity and administrative

control, administration and technological

backbone

● Green building applications

● Concrete tilt-up design for speed of

construction, hurricane-resistant shell

Proposed elementary school site plan

● 90-day design to GMP process – 12-month

delivery

● Construction cost - $20 million

● Occupancy – Summer, 2009

SCHOOL DISTRICT SNAPSHOT

The School Board of Broward County is the

sixth largest fully accredited School District in

the nation.

Community Information

Population

There are approximately 270,000 students

enrolled in the Broward County School District.

The general population within the county

continues to grow but the school age

population is in a slow decline due to

increasing housing costs. Annexation of 2,200

acres from Palm Beach County to Northwest

Broward County is being finalized. This area of

development will be served by the new

elementary school.


Political Structure

● The Broward County Superintendent is

appointed

● The School Board has nine (9) elected

members, one from each of the seven districts

and two at-large members

● Members are elected to a four year term

Community Successes & Resources

● Long history of support for public

education within the district

● Strong community and business partnership

involvement

● County and municipality intra-agency

agreements

● Active parent and community oversight

groups

School District Information

Number of students enrolled

Approximately 270,000

Number of Schools

● 31 High Schools

● 43 Middle Schools

● 144 Elementary Schools

● 21 Centers

Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED)

● There is a very active LEED Committee in

Facilities and Construction Management.

Seventy percent (70%) of the District’s design

criteria and design and material specifications

are “green.” An architect has recently been

chosen to design the replacement project for

one of the district’s oldest high schools. This

will be Broward Country’s first “green” school

and the first to address urban concepts.

● Several LEED pilot projects including solar

roof panel systems are currently being

implemented. A district wide Environmental

Strategic Plan is also being developed at this

time.

Single Point of Entry –

Safety & Security Program

● Every school in Broward County Public

Schools has or will have a single point of entry

and appropriate fencing to ensure the safety

of all students and staff.

Elementary School Projects

● 8 in design

● 27 under construction

● 60 completed

Middle School Projects

● 20 in design


● 0 completed

High School Projects

● 22 in design


● 0 completed

Centers

● 14 in design


● 0 completed


MAJOR QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

● Given that the design of this elementary

school provides an opportunity to establish

precedent for future prototypes, how can this

concept and plan for a kit of parts be

improved?

● What are the advantages and constraints

of using a kit of parts as a model to

accommodate growth?

● Core services must be at ground level

together with classrooms for kindergarten and

first grades. In addition, all Broward schools

are required to have a single point of entry.

Given these constraints, how much flexibility

can be incorporated into the design?

● The state funding arrangement of

$18,200/student station to support

construction of core facilities tends to

encourage higher enrollment. With a

declining enrollment and mandated class size

reduction, how will this impact the quality of

core services?

● What options might be used to allow for

smaller schools since enrollment is declining

and class size is being reduced?

RECOMMENDATIONS

There is a need to work within the constraints

of the existing kit-of-parts. Core services will be

sized to serve an ultimate population of 960

students, though the initial student enrollment

will be considerably smaller.

● There is an opportunity to design the

classroom wings for a smaller, initial

population and expand the ‘wings’ as student

enrollment increases.

● The configuration of the classroom wings

should be flexible.

● It follows that there is a potential for not

fitting out all of the spaces. Build the shell and

add space as needed. This applies not only

to the classrooms (only fit out as many as

initially needed) but also to the support

services. For example, only fit out as much of

the media room as initially needed.

● As part of this process, explore the

potential for morphing the interior planning of

the current (Palm Beach County) prototype to

make it more flexible. Simple ideas: erode the

corridor to allow small gathering spaces. More

ambitious ideas: look at creating ‘multi-

functional blocks’ that could each include a

small number of classrooms, an

administrative/teachers area, other support

spaces (such as bathrooms), and ‘mini-media

rooms’. This is a more decentralized plan and

fosters a less rigid departmental model. The

result will be a more teacher/student-focused

classroom environment.

● Pay special attention to the impact of any

such changes on the systems infrastructure of

the kit-of-parts: wiring, plumbing, lighting, etc.

● Create unconventional gathering spaces.

Explore how the stairs and the area around

them might be better utilized.

● Flip the plan – or flip the parking – to place

the administrative wing and its ‘single point of


entry’ closer to the parking. Try to open up

more of the site, to increase the athletic

areas. (The site appears crowded considering

that it encompasses 10 acres and the

footprint of the building is relatively modest.)

● As part of this process, explore eliminating

the angle and squaring off the wings – for a

better utilization of the site and the exterior

spaces.

● Consider switching from tilt-up construction

to steel to allow for greater flexibility of the

design. A portion of the building can be

constructed along with the structural piers –

and other infrastructure – for the remainder of

the building. When additional classrooms are

needed, the steel system can be erected on

these piers and the rest of the building can be

built out quickly and efficiently.

● Consider a systematic reevaluation of the

entire prototype concept – perhaps at the tri-

county (or even state) level. Explore ways

that the ‘core and shell’ concept might be

put to use in Florida to provide added

flexibility – to better serve current and future

forms of pedagogy – while at the same time

retaining the cost and time advantages of the

prototype approach.

● As part of this process, consider an even

more rigorous use of the ‘multi-function block’

concept in organizing the school.


_________________________________________________________________Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Daniel J. BurnsChief Operating Officer (COO)

Gary D. SautterDeputy Chief of Capital Programs

PROJECT SUMMARYMax Hayes Career Technical High SchoolCleveland, Ohio

The existing 5.5 acre site is significantly

undersized with no expansion potential for the

Max Hayes program. For this reason, CMSD is

investigating relocation and expansion at

Cuyahoga Community College – known as

the Tri-C site.

New development will provide academic and

vocational training at one site. Expansion of

the Max Hayes Technical High School will

provide an academic core at the technical

school while increasing focus on a

manufacturing and IT curriculum, and

including instruction in transportation,

construction, and culinary arts. The new Max

Hayes will serve 800 students on a city-wide

basis, and will offer day and evening classes

for 466 adults. Of the 800 students, 220 will be

non-career technical (CT) students and 580

CT students. Adult education will be housed in

a 30,000 square foot 2-story building. (The

number of classrooms and approximate

square footage is represented on the site plan

with block diagrams showing preferred

adjacencies.)

CMSD is planning for small neighborhood

schools through a development program

planned in segments. The construction and

rehabilitation program is funded by Issue 14

(with $335 million of local tax money

approved in 2001) and the Ohio School

Facilities Commission (OSFC). Another $217

million is needed through a Locally Funded

Initiative (LFI) to fund segments 8, 9 + 10 and

complete the program and fund work not

supported by OSFC. The 2002 Master Plan

envisioned 111 new or fully renovated schools

allotted among 9 construction segments and

a 2015 student enrollment of 72,000. The new

Master Plan proposal envisions 81 new or fully

renovated schools to accommodate a 2015

enrollment of about 41,000 students in 10

construction segments. CMSD is currently

working on schools in Segment 4; Max Hayes is

in Segment 5.

CMSD is promoting various types of specialty

(option) schools to help the district compete

with charter schools. The district further

believes that more options offered through

the Schools of Choice program will help stem

declining enrollment and improve the

graduation rate.


Potential Tri-C site and building massing options

Cost of ProjectApproximately $30+ million

Acreage

Current site is 5.5 acres; 12 acres is preferred.

Development at the Tri-C site on the

Cuyahoga Community College campus offers

sufficient land and potential synergy for both

institutions. In addition, the site is adjacent to

downtown and has easy interstate access.

Total Building Size

170,000 square feet

Number of High School Students and Grade

Levels

800 students in grades 9 thru 12

Adult Education

● 361 adults in attendance from 8AM to 6PM;

105 adults from 5PM to 9:30PM

● There is a building addition of 30,000SF

planned to accommodate adult education.

● The Manchester-Bidwell Center for adult

programs has expressed interest in a

partnership.


Special Considerations/Special Design

Components:

See list of programming and site requirements

for Max Hayes and note adjacencies

illustrated on site plan and refer to plan noting

surrounding land uses.

Project Determinants

● Acreage – 12 acre minimum preferred for

expansion of Max Hayes program

● Location – Tri-C site offers a location near

downtown with good public access and

functional linkages.

● Funding – Ohio State Facilities Commission

(OSFC) pays 68% of the basic program

components, but will only co-fund space for

the estimated 2015 enrollment of 41,000

students. OSFC does not fund auditoriums or

athletic facilities. Tri-C has an auditorium and

an underutilized indoor recreation facility and

track adjacent to the development area.

Regulations/Codes

Standard regulations apply together with new

LEED requirement. If a brown-field site owned

by the district is selected as the development

site, then environmental remediation

regulations and codes are applicable. The

district follows a 2/3 rule for rebuilding.

Planning/Design Process

Develop program of requirements (Ohio

Design Manual POR), then proceed through

schematic design, design development,

construction document phases followed by

construction, formal commissioning on

mechanical, electrical and plumbing, then

close out followed by a formal 11-month walk-

through evaluation process.

Existing Conditions

Tri-C site: Land costs not yet discussed. CMSD

is to send a letter of intent to work with the

college on a preliminary master plan. The

college is interested in sharing space and

infrastructure. The site is basically flat with no

major drainage issues. Existing indoor

recreation building at Tri-C is underutilized.

Main buildings associated with the college

are located directly across 30th Street.

Construction Program

● Planning began Spring 2006

● Construction to begin in 2008

● Completion scheduled for 2011

Funding Sources

● 2/3 Ohio School Facilities Commission

(OSFC)

● 1/3 city of Cleveland

● Partnership opportunities: (1) Greater

Cleveland Partnership started ROAM – Region

of Manufacturing Excellence Initiative – to

address shortage of entry level workers for NE

Ohio manufacturing resulting in the TEAM

Academy at the existing Max Hayes high

school; (2)Business Advisory Committee has

contributed $600,000 to date and is to

become the non-profit Manufacturing

Advisory Committee that will continue to pay


for components of the Academy that the

district cannot fund; (3) Cuyahoga

Community College (Tri-C); and (4)

Manchester-Bidwell Center for adult

programs. Tri-C hopes to attract students from

Max Hayes.

Reference Materials

CMSD Facilities Master Plan ($1.5B

construction master plan update)

Ohio Design Manual POR (Program of

Requirements)

Executive Summary – CMSD Summary



Population

2007 = 450,000 (based on 2004 US Census

Bureau)

This includes the populations of the villages of

Bratenahl and Newburgh Height, and portions

of Garfield and Shaker Heights served by

CMSD.

Political Structure

● The mayor is elected in a non partisan

primary every 4 years. The top two candidates

from the September primary enter a run-off in

November.

● The Cleveland City Council consists of 21

councilpersons each elected at the ward

level in the same year as the mayoral

election.

● The mayor appoints the CEO of CMSD and

the 9-member board of education.

● Cuyahoga County is governed by 3 county

commissioners elected to 4 year terms.

Major Employers

● Cleveland Clinic

● University Hospitals

● Cleveland Metropolitan School District

● U.S. Office of Personnel Management

(Defense Payroll)

● City of Cleveland

● Key Corp

● National City Bank

Community Successes

● World renowned hospitals

● University/medical research partnership

● Arts community featuring Playhouse

Square and Cleveland Museum of Arts

● Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

● Great Lakes Science Center

Primary Community Challenges

The need to address issues typical of 21st

century older mid-western cities with a history

of reliance on manufacturing and including a

declining population and economy, and a

rising poverty rate.

Community Resources

● Cleveland Clinic

● University Hospitals

● Cleveland Foundation

● Gund Foundation

● Greater Cleveland Partnership

● City Of Cleveland


● Cuyahoga County

● Parkworks


Mission Statement

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District will

strive for nothing less than a school district of

premier status that will be emulated for its best

practices in the areas of academics, buildings

and facilities, customer service, safety and

security and student services purposefully

designed to produce graduates prepared to

assume leadership roles as students in

colleges and universities, as professionals in

their chosen careers, and as citizens in a

global society.

Political Structure

The school district is governed by a 9-member

board of education appointed by the mayor

of the city of Cleveland. The CEO is

appointed. The ‘mayoral control’ of the

Cleveland schools has been in place since

1998.

District Size

● 79 square miles in northeastern Ohio, on

the shores of Lake Erie

● 500 acres

● 10.3 million square feet of building space

School Buildings

● 14 high schools

● 6 schools in other configurations

● 104 elementary schools

● 124 total buildings

Grade Configurations

● K-5

● PreK-8

● 6-8

● 6-12

● 9-12

● K, 1 & 2 Single Gender Academies

Student Population

● Current enrollment 50,274

(unofficial count according to state DOE)

● Projected enrollment 41,000 (in 2015)

● Graduation Rate 55%

Changes in Composition

Like many urban districts, enrollment has

steadily declined since the 1960s. Busing,

‘suburban flight’ and negative perceptions

have accentuated that trend in CMSD. This

has been particularly evident with the advent

of charter schools. Enrollment in charter

schools has increased from 1,600 in 2002 to

19,000 in the 2006-07 academic school year.

The 2007-08 initial numbers show the smallest

decrease in overall student population in

many years, and this is attributed to charter

schools.

Special Programs

● Four new single gender academies

opened for the 2007-08 school year.

● The Ginn Academy for at risk males began

in 2007-08.


● The Early College program at John Hay

helps students obtain college credit while in

high school.

School District Goals for 2006 - 2007

● Reach Continuous Improvement on the

state report card

● Improve student safety

● Improve customer service

School District Successes

● CMSD met their Continuous Improvement

Goal.

● Conducted several initiatives designed to

improve test scores and academic

performance involving teachers,

administrators, families, community members,

business partners and volunteers.

● Held a full day Parent Roundup of back-to-

school information to provide parents and

students with a one-stop shop for on-site

student registration.

● Collaborated with the Cleveland Bar

Association to launch The 3Rs Program (Rights,

Responsibilities and Realities) that dispatches

700 lawyers, judges, and law students to tutor

10th grade students on the civics portion of

the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT).

● Led several thousand dignitaries and

volunteers in Hat’s Off Day, ‘tipping hats’ at

more than 100 schools and encouraging

students as they arrived at school on October

4th.

● Held Vision to Victory Summits throughout

the school year to establish priorities to be

incorporated into the District’s strategic plan.

● Held smaller ‘fire-side chats’ to personally

communicate with district student and staff

leadership groups.

● Opened The Promise Academy to help

dropouts qualify for a diploma.

● Held a Career, College & High School

Choice Fair attended by several thousand

parents and students, sixty colleges and

universities, plus administrators, teachers and

students from all of the district’s high schools.

Featured seminars on college financial aid,

the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) and the

Ohio Achievement Tests, career planning and

adult education helped attendees realize the

resources available to plan for a successful

future.

● Led students, principals, administrators,

staff and community members in a city-wide,

door-to-door campaign for OGT preparation,

visiting the homes of all 9th grade students.

Safety and Security Initiatives

● Held a series of Safety Summits for students

and community members resulting in student

safety teams.

● Instituted Zero Tolerance for disruptive

student behaviors.

● Collaborated with the sheriff’s department

and deputized safety officers.

● Organized Pre-K to Grade-8 School Safety

Teams to promote safe and appropriate

behavior during and to and from school


through peer mentoring and meetings with

Cleveland Police Department, Regional

Transit Authority Police and Cleveland

Metropolitan School District Safety and

Security forces.

● Teamed with City of Cleveland, the

Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, Jim Brown,

Cleveland Browns Hall of Famer, to launch The

Amer-I-Can Program providing mentoring, life-

skills and character training for District

students.

● Improved customer service.

● Introduced procedure for responding

within 24 hours and 5 working days for all

written correspondence.

● Implemented Customer Service Care

Cards at all schools.

● Developed a Comprehensive Customer

Service Plan; in the process of training all

CMSD employee groups.

School District Challenges

● Addressing historical perceptions about

school quality and safety while coping with

the vagaries of state funding and mandates.

● No operating levy has passed since 1997.


Design (LEED)

The school district does not have any

completed LEED projects at this time. CMSD is

interested in the Max Hayes High School

becoming a LEED certified building, possibly

at a higher than silver rating.

As of October 2007, Ohio requires all schools

to achieve LEED Silver Certification (at

minimum) for all state funded public schools.

Ohio School Facility Commission (OSFC) pays

all registration and certification fees. In the

next two years, they will register at least 250

schools. The state has 4.1 billion dollars from a

tobacco industry settlement to jump start the

effort.

The Cleveland Green Building Coalition

Headquarters and the Greater Cleveland

Food Bank are examples of local LEED

buildings.

Construction History

Using the East High gym collapse as a

catalyst, and coinciding with the OSFC

program approval in 2002, CMSD began an

effort to update its school facilities. The initial

phase began with approval of a $335 million

bond issue and included the Warm Safe and

Dry program in which all buildings were

assessed and many basic life safety and

building envelope issues were addressed.

Subsequently, 8 new buildings and 5

renovated buildings have been completed in

the first two segments of the master plan, and

20 new buildings are in progress in segments 3

and 4.

As in any program of this magnitude, there

have been projects that were completed

more efficiently than others. CMSD and its

partners at the OSFC have learned from the


earliest projects and look forward to

implementing those lessons in future projects.

CMSD is currently in the midst of an update to

its Master Plan (the agreement with the OSFC

on which buildings will be able to be co-

funded under OSFC requirements).


● What is the best design to ensure flexibility

for adapting to future program change?

Consider the optimum location of building

blocks to support educational programming

and provide a physical linkage between Max

Hayes and Tri-C.

● What is considered ‘state of the art’

relative to this design (in terms of LEED design

and educational programming)? Energy

conservation is of primary interest to the

school board; CMSD would like Max Hayes

certified above the silver rating.

● Who will be the stakeholders/donors and

how can CMSD get them to the table and in

sync with the project’s funding schedule?

(Manufacturing Advisory Committee, Greater

Cleveland Partnership, Tri-C and CMSD)

RECOMMENDATIONS

● Create a broad overall vision for Max

Hayes. Factors to consider include flexibility in

the design of the facility and integration of

information technology, energy efficiency

and green design features, as well as safety

and security measures. In addition, foster

partnership development with associations

and special advisory groups interested in

helping to develop technical training in

specific fields.

● Curriculum must drive the architecture.

Program adjacencies need to further the

educational goals of an academic and

career tech high school and merge where

possible -- programmatically, functionally and

physically -- with the community college. To

determine how best to accomplish this, CMSD

should host a facilitated strategy session with

an educational planner.

● Engaging the public is a critical

component of the planning process. Include

the community in the process when

determining curriculum, building layout and

site planning.

● Master plan the site with sustainability and

flexibility in mind. Design a generic building

with the necessary components and find ways

to stitch these components together.

● Develop a master plan for the high school

and create linkages to Tri-C.

● Relate the high school building to the

surrounding educational facilities and the

adjacent housing developments.

● Compress the high school by eliminating

duplication of spaces and sharing resources

where possible.

● Create informal social spaces within and

around the new building.

● Investigate Tri-C’s building systems and

infrastructure plan. Consider cogeneration

with Tri-C.


● Consider shared parking opportunities with

a concentration of parking near the highway.

● Create small learning communities (SLCs).

● Form SLCs of 100 students devoted to a

core academic curriculum for the first two

years.

● Students select an area of focus in their

junior year and begin to specialize, while

maintaining small learning communities – with

each community focused on a specific trade.

● These communities can contain

decentralized administrative space.

● Since demand for different trades may

change over time, leaning spaces must be

designed as flexible spaces that can be

reconfigured as needed.

● Given current directive to build LEED

certified buildings, consider including

environmental building practices in the

curriculum.

● Determine ways to ensure gender and

specialization balance through programming.


__________________________________________________________________Hillsborough County Public Schools

Cathy ValdesAssistant Superintendent Chief Facilities Officer

Rory SalimbeneGeneral Manager Planning and Construction

PROJECT SUMMARYDover Site K-12 Campus PlanTampa, Florida

It is anticipated that growth in Hillsborough

County will continue to the east and south.

The district has built 5-6 schools/year (5,000-

6,000 students/year) since 1996. All schools are

state funded but the district can raise

additional bond money. The Dover campus

site lies to the east of Tampa, just outside of

Plant City. The school district owns the site but

there are a few private land owners along

Gallagher and Newsome roads; Gallagher is

assumed to be the primary entrance road into

the K-12 campus.

The Dover site has been master planned for a

high school, middle school and elementary

school. Total acreage for the site is 98 acres.

The high school will occupy 50 acres, the

middle school 30 acres, and the elementary

school 18 acres. Programming and design of

the high school is complete, with occupancy

scheduled for August 2009. The middle and

elementary schools are planned for future

development.

Proposed school site

The Hillsborough County School District (HCSD)

creates many benefits by co-locating the

schools on the same site: greater economy is

realized in the purchase of the site for multiple

uses and shared off site infrastructure

improvements, storm water management,

and use of a campus water and sewer

system. A water tank is located opposite the

football field; 40’ H + 150,000 gallon capacity.

An area of wetlands is located in the

northwest corner of site. An infrastructure

related issue is the need for road

improvements.


Site plan for high school

The county will likely have to upgrade roads;

the district can use funding only for road

improvements adjacent to or on site. Note

that about 1/4 of the students will drive to

school, which could result in as many as 500

cars entering and exiting the site twice a day.

The profile of the planned high school calls for

a 243,982 square foot building on the 50-acre

site. It is designed for 2,466 students, with

academic grades 9 through 12. The school is

organized around a central market street. The

market street acts as the circulation spine and

gathering place for the school community;

similar to European market streets and plazas.

The buildings are oriented east-west along the

market street to maximize solar benefit.

Balconies serve circulation along the south

side of classroom buildings, controlling solar

gain by shading the buildings. Additionally,

the balconies activate the market street with

students and teachers. The market street is

anchored at the west end by the cafeteria

building and at the east end by the athletic

fields. The gym can seat 2,000; an auditorium

will seat 650. Programming for the high school

includes a significant agricultural program.


Along the northern property line is Interstate

Highway (I-4). To buffer the high school from

the Interstate, mandated retention ponds are

located between the school and the

highway. The long linear retention pond acts

as a buffering element and as a reflection

pool. The buildings use LEED and sustainability

design and construction methods to minimize

energy use and environmental impacts.

Construction for the high school will begin in

January 2008, to be completed by August

2009. The construction budget is 48 million

dollars.

Note that the elementary and middle schools

are ‘place holders only’ based on a 2-story

model for both. The elementary school

scheduled to open in 2010 will be

approximately 90,000 square feet and will

serve 950 K-5 students. The elementary school

design has not been selected but will have to

be contained within the allocated 18 acres.

The student population will be comprised of

students drawn from adjacent school

boundaries of Dover, Cork, and Knights

elementary schools.

The middle school scheduled to open in 2012

will be approximately 150,000 square feet and

will serve 1,500 6-8 students. The middle

school design has not been selected but will

have to be contained in the approximately 30

acres allocated. The student population will

be comprised of students drawn from

adjacent school boundaries of Marshall and

Tomlin middle schools.

Development Summary

● HS 50 acres

2500 students; grades 9 – 12

● MS 30 acres

1500 students; grades 6 – 8

● ES 18 acres

950 students; grades K – 5



Population

(Based on most recent US Census Bureau

estimates)

● Hillsborough County 1,157,738

(unincorporated area)

● Tampa 317,647

● Temple Terrace 23,405

● Plant City 30,906

● TOTAL 1,529,696

Political Structure

● Hillsborough County School Board,

7-member elected board, Jack R. Lamb,

Chair

● Hillsborough County Commission, 7-

member elected commission, Jim Norman,

Chairman

● City of Tampa City Council, 7-member

elected council, Pam Iorio, Mayor

● City of Temple Terrace


5-member elected council, Joe Affronti, Sr.,

Mayor Council

● City of Plant City, 7-member elected

council, Mayor

● State of Florida, Charlie Crist, Governor, Jeff

Kottkamp, Lt. Governor

Major Employers

● Hillsborough County School System

● GTE Florida

● Hillsborough County Government

● Tampa International Airport

● University of South Florida

● City of Tampa

● Publix

● Tampa General Hospital

● AT&T

● Paradyne

● Kash n' Karry Food Stores, Inc.

● St. Joseph's Hospitals

● GTE Data Services

● U.S. Postal Services

● Tampa Electric Company

● Veterans Administration Hospital

● Chase Manhattan Bank

● The Tribune Company

● IBM/Advantis

● Barnett Bank of Tampa

● Columbia Brandon Regional Medical

Center

● Group Technologies Corporation

● Time Customer Service, Inc.

● USAA Insurance

● AmSouth Bank of Florida

● Citicorp, NationsBank of Florida

● Metropolitan Life Insurance

● Price Waterhouse

● Beneficial Corporation

● CCCI/Fingerhut Companies, Inc.

● Nutmeg Mills

● Suntrust Bank

● Tampa Bay

● Salomon Brothers

● Rooms To Go

● TeleTech

● Humana Health Care Plans

● Health Plan Services

● CAC United Healthcare Corp.

Community Successes

● Home of Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002

Champions)

● Home of Tampa Bay Lightning (2003-2004

Champions)

● Brandon High School Wrestling Team --

most consecutive wins by a high school sports

team (469)

Community Struggles

● Creating a viable downtown urban

environment and residential population

● Funding local government, due to recent

tax reforms

Community Resources

The Hillsborough County School District has a

successful working relationship with many

local governments and corporations,

including:

● City and County Parks


● Library

● Public Works and Planning Agencies

● Caspers Company (local McDonalds

franchiser)

● Tampa Electric Company

● Builders Association of Greater Tampa


Vision: Hillsborough County Public Schools will

be in the top 1% of the school districts in the

nation.

Mission: Hillsborough County Public Schools will

provide all students with the opportunity to

acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to

realize their potential.

School District Successes

Year after year, Hillsborough County School

District is rated as one of the best in the

nation.

School District Struggles

Keeping pace with population growth

District Area

888 square miles

School Buildings

● 25 high schools

● 44 middle schools

● 140 elementary schools

● 209 school buildings

Grade Configuration

K-5, 6-8, 9-12

Number of Students

1997-1998 149,658 3,151 increase

1998-1999 152,809 3,437 increase

1999-2000 156,246 4,500 increase

2000-2001 160,746 5,315 increase

2001-2002 166,061 5,261 increase

2002-2003 171,322 6,235 increase

2003-2004 177,557 7,113 increase

2004-2005 184,670 7,113 increase

2005-2006 190,835 6,165 increase

2006-2007 191,151 316 increase

2007-2008 191,219 68 increase

(projected)

Enrollment in Hillsborough County schools

grew at an average of 5,147 students per year

from 1997 through 2006, an average increase

of 3.09 percent per year. Growth has

flattened out in the past two years to an

average of less than 1 percent per year.

Special Programs

● H.O.S.T. (Hillsborough Out of School Tutorial)

– An after school program providing

homework assistance, academic enrichment,

art, crafts, and games, outside games and

fields trips

● Attendasauras – attendance monitoring

● Career and Technical Education

● Early Childhood Education

● Others


Graduation Rate

70%

Free Meals

● Free breakfast offered to all students

● Free lunch program offered at all schools;

52% district-wide

Student Composition (2005)

White, Non-Hispanic 84,883

Black, Non Hispanic 43,211

Hispanic 50,503

Asian/Pacific Islander 5,240

American Indian/Alaskan Native 601

Multiracial 9,231

TOTAL 193,669

Female 94,451

Male 99,218

LEED Projects

● Nancy Walker Communications office –

LEED Silver

● The Dunedin Community Center–LEED

Silver

● Happy Feet Plus (shoe store –LEED Certified

● Liberty Property Trust office/commercial

development –LEED Silver or Gold (under

construction)

● Girl Scouts headquarters in Sarasota

● Twin Lakes office complex in Sarasota

● WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio Station –

LEED Gold

LEED School Projects

● Tarpon Springs Elementary in Pinellas + Gulf

● Trace Elementary in Pasco currently

seeking certification.

● Pinellas is building 2 schools for certification.

● Watergrass Elementary in Pinellas will seek

certification.


● What are the planning issues to consider

when co-locating a high school, middle

school, and elementary school in a campus

plan?

● What other uses/facilities should be

considered to maximize development

potential of the site?

● What are the traffic and utility issues

related to development of the 3 schools?

(Note that Gallagher and Newsome roads

must remain accessible to the public.)

● What green and sustainable

design/construction methods should be

applied to development of this plan?

● What are the

comments/recommendations related to

review of the high school design?

RECOMMENDATIONS

● Develop synergies among the elementary,

middle and high schools.

● Create a sustainable campus plan.

Consider co-generation and geothermal

opportunities. Mechanical systems should be

developed for the whole campus. Investigate


feasibility of incorporating one or more

windmills near the area programmed for

agricultural studies.

● Educational linkages between middle and

high school curriculum should be developed

and reflected in both the programming and

the site plan.

● The middle school and high school could

be physically linked by adding a 9th grade

academy or community space (perhaps a

library) as a transition area.

● Maintain the elementary school to the west

within the southwestern section of the site.

Access off Newsome Road could split to serve

the elementary school to the south and the

service needs located behind the high school

to the north. (The main entrance to the high

school and the middle school would be off

Gallagher Road.)

● Parking should be relocated from the

center of the site to the periphery, perhaps

flipping the parking behind the high school

and concentrating parking adjacent to the

highway.

● Condensing the buildings will also allow

scattered parking opportunities, eliminating

parking as a central feature.

● Consider different parking configurations

and recalculate parking requirements.

● Reconsider the location and functionality

of the reflecting ponds. The ponds could be

relocated along Gallagher Road as a main

entrance feature into the site.


_________________________________________________________________Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Jaime TorrensDeputy Superintendent Chief Facilities Officer

Nazira Abdo-Decoster, Administrative Director, A/E Selection,Negotiations and Design Management

PROJECT SUMMARYState School “YYY-1” Senior High SchoolMiami, Florida

M-DCPS is building a new high school –

designated for now as State School ”YYY-1”

Senior High School -- to add student stations

for relieving overcrowding in two senior high

schools and to comply with requirements of

the Class-Size Reduction Constitutional

Amendment at the individual classroom level.

To plan, design and build this project in a

limited time, M-DCPS commissioned the reuse

and adaptation of a recently completed

middle school prototype. This unique

application of a reuse will provide significant

reduction of professional services fees,

construction costs and time. The middle

school design will require minor modification

and adaptation for use as a small,

comprehensive senior high.

Size of Project

166,000 gross square feet on a 30 acre site

Middle school prototype

Number of Students and Grade Levels

1,864 student stations (1,704 new student

stations and 160 existing student stations)

Grades 9 to 12

Special Considerations/Special Design

Components

A portion of the future “YYY-1” site (in the

northeast sector of the property) is currently

occupied by several buildings and portables

comprising Miami Douglas MacArthur South

Senior High School (MacArthur). MacArthur is

an alternative education center which will

remain in operation during construction of

“YYY-1”. MacArthur is planned for relocation

to another site prior to opening “YYY-1”.


Proposed location of new school in existing neighborhood

Complex construction phasing will be required

to work around a fully occupied school.

The new school (approximately 150,000 GSF of

new construction and 16,000 GSF of

renovation/remodeling) will include a 3-story

classroom building, science labs, art and

music rooms, three vocational labs, media

center, administration, cafetorium, outside

covered dining, enhanced hurricane

protection area, gym, PE support spaces and

locker room, all on-site and off-site utilities,

grading, new roads, road improvements,

signalization, parent and bus drop-offs,

parking, new playfields, hard courts,

landscaping and other related improvements.

This school will be a countywide partial

Choice school specializing in math and

science and may include environment

educational components.

The district will use Construction Management

at-Risk delivery method to achieve this

project.

Project Constraints

The project site is located in the Kendall area

at 11035 SW 84 Street. The site is bordered by


a public park (Kendall Indian Hammocks Park)

on the west, north and east sides and several

family and children’s social services agencies

to the south. Beyond the park (on the north

and west) are single family homes; on the east

and south are mostly multi-family residential

areas. The park contains recreational areas,

picnic areas, natural hammock, service areas,

Parks Construction and Maintenance offices,

and beyond the park are solid waste facilities

and a Search and Rescue Training facility.

The master plan concept requires renovation

of an existing gym and remodeling of an

existing science building to be repurposed as

locker rooms and physical education support

spaces for the new senior high. The gym

building can be secured separately from the

main school and therefore can be easily used

by the community.

The existing school (MacArthur) will remain in

operation during construction and one of the

buildings will only be partially demolished to

maintain an existing culinary arts program.

This building is to be fully demolished after

MacArthur is relocated.

Although the project construction schedule is

not contingent upon the relocation of

MacArthur, the project will require phasing,

and may require the temporary relocation of

students/staff (from buildings 06, 07 and 04) to

portables at the southwest sector of the

property. Extensive coordination and safety

concerns must be addressed in the design as

it relates to a fully-occupied site. The A/E will

also develop plans for the temporary portable

placement in order to house program spaces

demolished for new construction.

There are numerous fully grown trees

throughout the site. A careful review of type

and size of existing trees is required during the

planning phase of this project. Every attempt

will be made to maintain a park-like campus

setting and use the site itself to promote the

environmental sciences curriculum. The

school’s playfields and parking will be shared

with the park under a shared-use agreement

with Miami-Dade County Parks Department.

Although environmental reports do not

indicate any required site mitigation,

coordination with all regulatory and

governmental agencies is required to obtain

permits. Note that a traffic study has been

completed. A new road to access the project

site will be required to minimize traffic through

residential and state agency areas. Also,

various off-site improvements will be required.

Florida Building Code, M-DCPS Master

Specification and Design Criteria must be

used during project development. The

school will be designated as a hurricane

shelter and will therefore require enhanced

structural hardening, emergency systems and

safety features. This project will be the District’s

first LEED certified candidate school.


Since this site may be suitable for a future

middle school, the new facility should be

located on the east side of the property in

order to allow for any future development.

Construction Schedule

Commissioning of A/E May 2007

Phase II/III completion November 2007

Award of GMP January 2008

Construction duration 484 days

Substantial completion May 2009

Occupancy August 2009

Funding

Construction budget $34,744,000



Population

Miami-Dade County is located in southeastern

Florida. The US Census Bureau estimates that

the county population was 2,408,208 in 2005

making it the most populous county in the

state and eighth most populous county in the

nation. In an area of more than 2,000 square

miles, there are 35 municipalities (towns,

villages and cities) in Miami-Dade County, the

City of Miami being the largest located in the

northeastern area. 51.4% of Miami-Dade

residents are foreign-born (a percentage

greater than any other county in the US) and

67.9% of the population speaks a language

other than English at home.

Political Structure

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS)

is a countywide school system. It is the fourth

largest system in the nation. Management of

schools is totally independent of metropolitan

and city governments. The metropolitan

government collects the school tax for the

school system, but exercises no control over its

use. A nine-member School Board is elected

by single member districts. Regular, open

meetings are held monthly. Responsibility for

the administration of schools is vested in the

District Superintendent, appointed by the

Board. Each of the district’s students is

assigned to one of six Regional Centers, which

provide support for schools, advocacy for

students and parents, and partnerships with

businesses.

Major Employers

Top five public employers

● M-DCPS

● Miami-Dade County

● Federal Government

● Florida State Government

● Jackson Health System

Top five private employers

● Publix Super Markets

● Baptist Health Systems of South Florida

● University of Miami

● American Airlines

● Precision Response Corporation


Community's Successes

Life in Miami-Dade County combines the

advantages of a subtropical resort with a

major metropolitan area. White, sandy

beaches with palm trees and ocean surf are

located just a few minutes from major

businesses, shopping and cultural centers. In

addition, Miami-Dade County's international

culture gives the region a uniquely exciting

way of life. Miami-Dade County is known as

the ‘Gateway to the Americas’ and ranks:

● #1 and #2 for past 4 years as Best City for

Doing Business in Latin America – (America

Economia 2001, 2002, 2003),

● #2 Top City (U.S.) for Hispanics to live –

(Hispanic Magazine, August 2004),

● #3 County in the U.S. for Increase of New

Businesses– (U.S. Department of Commerce

Census Bureau, April 2003),

● #1 Healthiest City in the U.S. – (Natural

Health Magazine, 2002), #4 Among Best Cities

for Families – (Child.com, 2005)

● #1 Miami Children's Hospital rated as top

hospital in the state – (Child.com, 2005)

Community Challenges

As a global community, Miami-Dade County

faces many challenges to ensure that its

infrastructure can meet the needs and

demands of a quickly growing and shifting

population/metropolitan area.

● Affordable housing / property insurance

costs

● Impact of a major construction boom and

oversupply of condo units

● Property Tax Reform

Community Resources/Possible Partners

In 1978, M-DCPS created the Dade Partners

program to link business and community

resources with area schools. The program

invites businesses, community leaders, local

agencies and nonprofits to become decision

makers and participants in Miami-Dade

County public education.

Since its inception, Dade Partners has grown

to more than 3,000 entities, which have

formed nearly 4,000 partnerships between

their organization and our schools. Together

these partners continue to share their

expertise and provide our public schools a

multitude of resources, including mentorships

and internships, classroom supplies and

materials, as well as funding for teacher and

student recognition events.

M-DCPS has agreements in place for use of

schools by the community in the event of

emergencies. Sixty schools serve as hurricane

evacuation centers in cooperation with the

American Red Cross and all schools may serve

as community points of distribution in the

event of a public health emergency.


Mission Statement

We provide the highest quality education so

that all of our students are empowered to

lead productive and fulfilling lives as lifelong


learners and responsible citizens.

District Successes

2006-2007 Accomplishments

● For a second consecutive year, the Broad

Foundation has selected Miami-Dade County

Public Schools as a finalist for its prestigious

annual prize to the nation’s most effective

urban school district.

● An Education Council of International

Cities (ECIC) has been established to prepare

students to be competitive in today’s global

economy.

● Secondary School Reform has been

initiated at 11 senior high schools, with plans

to expand to 27 in the coming year.

● Thirteen Miami-Dade high schools were

recognized by Newsweek Magazine as

among the nation’s best.

● 65,000 new student stations have been

added to date, including 11 new schools.

● Education compacts have now been

forged with six municipalities to focus energy

on improving schools and saving public

dollars.

● Enrollment in foreign language courses has

increased by nearly 3,500 new students in two

years.

● The Electronic Gradebook, an interactive

tool to let parents see their child’s grades in

progress and actively participate in their

education is now online.

● The most common school performance

grade is “A” in M-DCPS.

● Enrollment and performance excellence in

Advanced Placement and gifted courses

across the county has increased substantially,

particularly among minority students.

District Challenges

● The challenge of preparing Miami-Dade

County’s multicultural student population for

successful postsecondary and career

experiences, in a global economy, is

exacerbated by a high poverty rate and

limited English proficiency. Miami-Dade

County’s student population speaks over 20

different languages and represents 160

countries. More than half do not speak

English at home and 15% are enrolled in

classes for English for Speaker of Other

Languages (ESOL).

● State mandated Class-size Reduction

Constitutional Amendment requirements

● Balancing attendance boundaries with

new construction and local demographics to

reduce overcrowding and increase use of

under-enrolled schools

● Repurposing schools for special programs

and resource center to promote diversity and

attract private school students back to public

schools

● State budget shortfall / tax structure

volatility

● Cost of construction in South Florida vs.

state funding based on cost per student

station (without adjustment for location)

● Lack of available land / small sites

● Changes in demographics


● Uncertainty regarding impact of unsold

condo units on the future need for schools

Size of the School District

● 2,000 square miles (Miami-Dade County)

● 42,734,000 gross square feet

● 4,542 acres

Number of Buildings

3,973 Total permanent buildings

1,402 Relocatables

Grade Configurations

(2006-2007 Pre-k to 12th grade)

210 Elementary schools

22 K-8 Centers

69 Middle schools

52 Senior high schools

3 Combination schools

23 Alternative/ESE

379 TOTAL

Student Population

(2006-2007)

353,283 students

Special Programs

Magnet Schools and Choice Programs

(76 programs at 67 schools)

Six themes of study:

Careers and Professions

Communications/Humanities

International Education

Mathematics, Science and Technology

Montessori

Visual and Performing Arts

● National Academy Foundation Academies

(17 programs at 15 schools)

These academies prepare students for careers

through business/education partnerships that

feature real-world work experience and

school-based curriculum. Three themes of

study:

The Academy of Finance

Information Technology

Hospitality and Tourism

● K-8 Centers

● English for Speakers of Other Languages

● Advanced Placement Programs

● Equity and Access (three zones)

● Smaller Learning Communities

● Extended Foreign Language

● Dual Enrollment (college and high school

credit)

● Single Gender Schools

● School for Advanced Studies (at three

college campuses)

● Bilingual Parent Outreach Program (for

immigrant families)

● Career Technical High Schools (three

schools)

● Applied Technology and Adult Education

(over 100 programs of study)

● McKay Scholarship Program for Students

with Disabilities

● After-School Care (Before-School Care is

provided as needed)

● Mentoring program: These programs

include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cruise Industry


Charitable Foundation Scholarship Program,

Mentoring Dade County Bar Young Lawyers,

Mentor Leader Program, Listeners School

Volunteer Program, Take Stock in Children

Mentoring Scholarship Program, Women of

Tomorrow, and 5000 Role Models of

Excellence

Graduation Rate

2002-2006 59%

Free and Reduced Lunch

(Eligible students)

Elementary 68.3%

Middle 65.1%

Senior 45.5%

Alternative Ed 43.0%

DISTRICT AVERAGE 61.3%

Composition of Student Population

(Based on October 2006 data)

White Non-Hispanic 9.4%

Black Non-Hispanic 26.9%

Hispanic 61.2%

Other 2.5%

(American Indian, Asian

and Multiracial categories)

Male 51.1%

Female 48.9%

Changes in Composition

Decline in student population over the past 5

years:

Year Schools Students

01-02 331 374,725

02-03 340 371,482

03-04 347 369,578

04-05 356 365,784

05-06 367 361,550

06-07 379 353,283

M-DCPS is in the middle of a massive building

program to complete implementation of

Class-Size Reduction by August 2010. This

requires adding student stations in order to

reduce current class size to a maximum of 18

students in grades K - 3, 22 in grades 4 - 8 and

25 in grades 9 -12 in each classroom.

New Construction

(5-year plan):

Year New Stations Construction

05-06 17,648 $890 million

06-07 18,203 $580 million

07-08 20,765 $72.5 million

08-09 28,600 (projected)

09-10 16,300 (projected)

Construction History

This school year, the District experienced a

record-breaking opening of new schools, K-8

conversions, completion of seven major

additions (overall a total of 20,765 new


student stations (ss) were added) and

numerous renovation projects.

This new prototype middle school (to relieve

overcrowding in two middle schools) was

accomplished using Design-Build delivery

method. The design and construction was

completed in less than 24 months for $29.8

million. Once the school opened it was also

used to relieve a nearby elementary school,

making it the District’s only 4th– 8th grade

school. This school design will now be

adapted for reuse as a small senior high

school at two sites (State Schools “YYY-1” and

“HHH-1”).


Design (LEED)

In April of 2005, M-DCPS commissioned 4 A/E

firms to develop 4 new expandable prototype

schools (i.e. an early childhood center (ECC),

elementary school, middle school and K-8

center) to be reused at 3 or more sites each.

This prototype program was used as a pilot to

incorporate principles of High Performance

Schools and to use LEED criteria as a goal in

design development.

To date the K-8 prototype has been repeated

at six sites, the elementary school at four sites,

the ECC at four sites and the middle school at

three sites. The 3 ECC prototypes opened in

August 2007 and the balance of the

prototype will open for the 2008-09 school

year.

In addition, the District is in the design phase

of the first LEED certified school (State School

“YYY-1”).


● How can sustainable design features and

practices be achieved without exceeding

state mandated cost per student station

limits?

● What are substantive advantages and

disadvantages of reusing (middle school)

prototype when adapting to a new site?

● What measures can be implemented

during construction to avoid disruptions in the

delivery of educational programs while

ensuring the safety of students and staff?

● Since the Miami Douglas MacArthur South

High School is located in a unique hub of

social services, should the district consider

adoption of the existing building for reuse?

RECOMMENDATIONS

● Prototypes have an important role to play

for research purposes. Study prototypes to

determine what works well and where

improvements are needed.

● Change the Florida model. Coordinate

efforts among the tri-county districts (Miami-

Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties) to

influence an increase in funding in areas

where real estate costs are skyrocketing and

developable land is scarce.

● The South Florida Tri-County Districts should

consider developing a white paper to


demonstrate the need for an increase in

financial support from the state.

● Learning opportunities in math and science

will be expanded by incorporating design

and construction for instructional purposes.

The natural park setting will also serve as a

learning tool by adding a focus on the

environmental sciences. In addition,

educators can also use the actual

construction process to introduce building arts

to students at the alternative school.

● Consider how the high school and the

adjacent social service agencies can work

together to serve the broader population and

establish these institutions as a center for the

community.

● Develop a student internship program.

Partnerships with the adjacent social service

agencies should be investigated to establish

educational opportunities for high school

students interested in the social sciences.

● Expand the existing sustainable design

features of the middle school prototype.

Focus on following sustainable practices

rather than striving for LEED certification, if that

would be more expedient.

● Investigate how the district can increase

cost savings related to energy efficiency so as

to expand this benefit to the Miami-Dade

County School District.

● In addition to the planned cafetorium that

combines the functions of the cafeteria and

auditorium, other uses that can share space

should be considered.

● If the alternative school building is to

remain, consider relocating the school

district’s regional office in the existing building.

Repurposing the building for other uses that

may supplement programming in the new

high school may also be considered.

● Consider updating the traditional

departmental model in order to incorporate

some flexible open spaces to enhance the

educational goals of the facility.


_____________________________________________________________________________

Biographies of Public Officials

Nazira Abdo-Decoster, R.A.

Administrative Director

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Miami, FL

Nazira Abdo-Decoster is Administrative

Director for the Department of A/E Selection,

Negotiations and Design Management. Her

department manages the District’s selection

and contracting processes for all Professional

Services Consultants (e.g. Architects,

Engineers, Construction Management at-Risk

firms, Land Surveying, etc.).

Ms. Abdo-Decoster’s career has been

devoted to the public school sector,

beginning with her work at Spillis Candela &

Partners, a prominent Miami A/E firm, as

Designer and Production Coordinator for over

four years. Nazira joined the School District in

1986 and has been with Miami-Dade County

Public Schools for more than twenty years,

supervising facilities’ staff in both Capital and

Maintenance departments, designing and

overseeing the design and construction of

hundreds of new construction, addition,

remodeling and renovations projects. She

developed updated design standards and

specifications, was involved in the Scope

Definition Program for the District’s $1 Billion

Bond Referendum in 1988, and in 1990 was

recognized by the District for her

management of the design and construction

of Design & Architecture Senior High (DASH).

The DASH project was subsequently published

by The Miami Herald. After Hurricane Andrew

in 1992, she worked tirelessly as a member of

the District’s Emergency Response Team to re-

open severely hurricane-damaged public

school facilities throughout the County and

designed a specialized portable school for

the performing arts.

Ms. Abdo-Decoster holds a Bachelor of

Architecture Degree from the University of

Florida. She is a Registered Architect, a

member of the Florida Educational Facilities

Planners Association, a certified State of

Florida Limited Building Code Administrator,

Hurricane Evacuation Shelter Evaluator, and

has been a contributing member of the AIA

local Education Committee.

Daniel J. Burns

Chief Operating Officer

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Cleveland, OH

Daniel J. Burns is Chief Operating Officer of

the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. He

oversees the departments of Facilities, Safety

and Security, Information Technology,


Purchasing and Human Resources. He also

oversees Capital Projects and is currently

managing a $1.5 million building project.

Prior to joining the Cleveland Metropolitan

School District in 2006, Burns served as the

Chief Business Manager of Toledo Public

Schools. He joined Toledo Public Schools in

1976 and throughout his 31-year term, he held

the positions of Assistant to the Business

Manager, Business Manager, Executive

Director of Computer Services, Manager of

Technical Support and Network Analyst. He

also designed and implemented the first high

speed wide area network and managed an

$800 million building project.

Burns earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business

Management from the University of Toledo.

He has served on the Board of Rossford

Exempted Village Schools and Penta County

Joint Vocational School. Currently, he serves

on the board of One Community.

Michael Garretson

Deputy Superintendent, Facilities &

Construction Management

Broward County Public Schools

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Michael Garretson, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida,

is the Deputy Superintendent, Facilities and

Construction Management for The School

Board of Broward County, Florida, the 6th

largest fully accredited school district in the

nation.

Michael was born and raised in Fort

Lauderdale and received his B.A. in

International Relations with a minor in

Economics at Assumptions College in

Worcester, Massachusetts. Fresh from college,

Michael entered the Peace Corps for a year

and was assigned to India. When he returned

to the United States, he married Pat, a

graduate from Washington State University,

and proceeded to raise four children, all girls!

One of Mr. Garretson’s first forays into the

working world was as a teacher of Black

History at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has extensive

experience in planning and development in

both the public and private sectors and has

served as Director of Planning for both

Broward County and the City of Jacksonville.

He was also Director of the Division of

Resource Planning and Management in the

Department of Community Affairs.

In the private sector he worked for several

large community development companies

and was Director of Area Development for

the Euro Disney project outside Paris.

Prior to Mr. Garretson obtaining a position with

the School Board of Broward County, Florida,

he traveled the world for his various

employers; from living in Paris for three years

while working on the Euro Disney project, to


visiting New Zealand for business

development and joint ventures relating to

the building of prisons.

Since he has joined the School Board of

Broward County, he has been administering a

Capital Budget of $1.5 billion dollars with the

creation of 40,000 student stations.

Claudia Munroe, R.A.

Executive Director of Design Services, Facilities

and Construction Management

Broward County Public Schools

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Claudia Munroe, R.A. is the Executive Director

of Design Services, Facilities and Construction

Management for the School Board of Broward

County and is a Registered Architect.

Claudia was born in Florence, South Carolina

and was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

She completed her first two years of college

at the University of North Carolina focusing on

mathematics and art curriculum. She met

and married her husband, Allen, while he was

attending North Carolina State University.

After his graduation they returned to

Tennessee and started a family of six children.

During this time Claudia volunteered in many

capacities in the local community and

educational system – developing plans and a

funding program for a Boys and Girls Club still

in operation in the county today.

When her youngest daughter was two years

old, Mrs. Munroe returned to college and

graduated from the University of Tennessee

School of Architecture with Honors, receiving

the American Institute of Architecture

Foundation Award for Scholastic

Achievement. Upon graduation she

accepted a position with a Tennessee firm

that was completing the Knoxville 1982

World’s Fair exhibitions. In this position she

began her involvement in design of

educational facilities.

Shortly thereafter, the family relocated to

Coral Springs, Florida and her architectural

experience then included design of religious,

institutional, governmental and educational

projects, one of which was Nova Southeastern

University – Health Professions Campus in

Davie, Florida. She was one of three women

project architects responsible for the fast track

delivery of this 750,000 g.s.f. complex. While

residing in Coral Springs, she served on the

Planning and Zoning Board.

Mrs. Munroe accepted a position with the

School Board of Broward County in 1999 as a

Project Manager and later in Design Services

as the Senior Architect. Today in her role as

Executive Director, she manages the District’s

staff of architects, engineers, designers,

planners, environmentalists and specialist

support staff. She oversees the development

and enforcement of the District’s design

criteria and specifications standards, through


the design plan review process and manages

the District’s consultant and contractor

procurement process for the major and minor

design and construction projects for the sixth

largest school district in the nation.

Rory Salimbene, P.E.

General Manager of Construction

Hillsborough County Schools

Tampa, FL

Rory Salimbene, P.E., recently appointed as

the General Manager for Construction for

Hillsborough County Public Schools, the

nation’s eighth largest public school district,

has held a variety of engineering and

construction positions throughout a twenty-

nine year career.

A graduate of the United States Military

Academy at West Point, New York, Rory

completed twenty years of military service as

an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

His military career included a variety of military

engineering, facilities management, and civil

works assignments, including project engineer

and project manager positions for variety civil

and environmental projects. Rory’s military

service culminated in a position as Director of

Public Works at Fort Polk, Louisiana where he

managed annual operating budgets in

excess of ninety million dollars and directed

over four hundred employees in the

maintenance of base facilities and

infrastructure.

Following his military career, Rory spent five

years directing the marketing and managing

of multimillion dollar energy and water

conservation projects as a regional Branch

Manager for Sempra Energy Services

Company, a national energy services firm.

Prior to his recent appointment, Rory gained

additional facility management experience

as General Manager for Maintenance for

Hillsborough County Public Schools.

In addition to his bachelor of science degree

from the United States Military Academy, Rory

holds a master of science degree in Civil

Engineering from the University of Texas, and

an MBA in General Management from North

Illinois University.

Gary Sautter

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Cleveland, OH

A native of N.W. Ohio, and Business Graduate

of Bowling Green State University, Mr. Sautter

has twenty years private sector experience in

Manufacturing and Distribution Management.

In 1990, he began his career in Educational

Facilities and Construction Management at

the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio. Prior to

Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Mr.

Sautter was responsible for the Toledo Public

Schools $820 million dollar school construction

and renovation program.


Jaime G. Torrens

Chief Facilities Officer

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Miami, FL

Mr. Jaime G. Torrens, Chief Facilities Officer for

Miami-Dade County Public Schools, is

responsible for facilities planning, construction,

maintenance, operations and inspections at

the fourth largest school system in the nation.

As a member of the Superintendent’s

Cabinet, he manages a staff of over 1,500

professional, technical and trades personnel

responsible for all aspects of 4,000 buildings

comprising nearly 43 million square feet on

379 school campuses and numerous ancillary

facilities.

Mr. Torrens is charged with leading the

district’s $3.3 billion five-year capital program

and ensuring compliance with the State of

Florida Class Size Reduction Constitutional

Amendment. For the 2007-08 school year,

nearly 21,000 new student stations were

opened, including nine new schools and 21

additions. By August 2010, a remarkable 23

new schools and dozens of additions will yield

another 58,000 student stations.

During the past 22 years, Mr. Torrens has

served the district in various positions of

increasing responsibility related to facilities

management and district operations. He

played a key role in the recovery following

Hurricane Andrew and, more recently,

hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. His

contributions to the community have been

recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers and American Red Cross. He

continues to serve as senior administrator in

charge of emergency planning, operations

and interagency coordination. As such, he

has led the development of critical

infrastructure, management systems and

protocols specific to emergency

communications, critical incident response,

damage assessment and disaster recovery for

the district’s 420 facilities.

Mr. Torrens holds a Master of Science in

Management and a Bachelor of Science in

Electrical Engineering from Florida

International University. He is a member of the

Florida Engineering Society, Institute of

Electrical and Electronic Engineers, National

Fire Prevention Association and National

Society of Professional Engineers.

Cathy Valdes

Chief Facilities Officer

Hillsborough County Schools

Tampa, Florida

Cathy Valdes, Chief Facilities Officer for

Hillsborough County Public Schools, the

nation’s eighth largest public school district,

has been involved in the educational field for

her entire career spanning over 30 years.


She began her employment with the School

District of Hillsborough County on August 17,

1972 as a teacher at Thonotosassa Elementary

School. She has served the District as a

teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, and

Area Director. In July 2005 she was appointed

as the Chief Facilities Officer. The Hillsborough

County School District has 43 ongoing

Classrooms for Kids projects and has built 70

new schools in the past 12 years. Even though

growth has slowed recently, the School District

previously grew by 5,000-6,000 new students

each year. As Chief Facilities Officer, Mrs.

Valdes oversees Planning and New

Construction, Maintenance, Custodial

Operations, and Sites and Growth

Management.

A graduate of the University of South Florida in

Tampa, Florida, Mrs. Valdes has a Bachelor of

Science and a Masters Degree in

Elementary/Early Childhood Education and

an Educational Specialist Degree in

Educational Leadership from Nova

Southeastern University. She was awarded the

Tampa Crossroads Principal of the Year in

1996, and National Distinguished Principal in

1997. She is a member of the Florida

Association of School Administrators,

Hillsborough Association of School

Administrators, and Phi Delta Kappa.


_____________________________________________________________________________

Biographies of the Resource Team

Thomas Blurock, FAIA

Principal, IBI/Blurock

Irvine, CA

Thomas H. Blurock, FAIA, has built a practice

dedicated to the creation of better urban

schools. Over his firm’s twenty-year history

nearly 200 school projects have been

completed; most for inner city school districts

with constrained budgets, poor socio-

economic conditions, grave security issues,

and highly politicized decision-making.

Building on his expertise in public finance,

educational programming, urban economics,

and school security, Blurock turns the negative

aspects of urban centers – poverty, high

density, and land scarcity – into creative

opportunities. His work revitalizes

neighborhoods with sensitively designed

schools that embody forward-looking

educational principles and reflect an idealistic

vision of the future.

Blurock is a leader of the Committee on

Architecture for Education (CAE), a national

AIA knowledge community. He became

active in CAE as a young practitioner in the

early 1980’s. As a member of the Steering

Committee culminating in tenure as chair in

2003, he refined the committee’s mission,

organized ten conferences, and conducted

an awards program. In conjunction with his

service on the CAE, Blurock was an active

participant on the Professional Interest Area

Council (PIA). Last year the American

Architectural Foundation Steering Committee

appointed Blurock to the Advisory Committee

of their “Great Schools by Design” initiative.

Blurock earned his Master’s in Architecture

from Harvard and a Bachelor of Science in

Environmental Design from the University of

Washington.

Raymond C. Bordwell, AIA, LEED®AP

Perkins Eastman

New York, NY

Mr. Bordwell is an Architect, Planner, Educator

and Futurist. He specializes in all aspects of

the programming, planning and design of

contemporary K – 12 schools with experience

that includes work nationally and

internationally. A writer, lecturer, and

workshop leader, Mr. Bordwell has devoted his

career to working with clients in articulating

creative and economical solutions for a

variety of educational facilities for public,

private, and international schools.


He is an expert in understanding the

influences of workforce, technology, market

and design trends affecting facility planning

and as one of the countries most recognized

names in the field of educational facility

planning; Mr. Bordwell is often consulted as a

resource by trade publications, publishers and

other media including Business Week and The

New York Times. He is a contributing Author to

publications such as Time Saver Standards for

Building Types, Interior Graphic Standards and

authored the educational planning chapter

for Wiley’s Urban Design Standards.

Mr. Bordwell has continually shared his

experiences with the profession having given

over 40 presentations at professional

organization conferences and universities

worldwide since 2002. In 1993 he created the

course "Planning and Design of Public

Schools” for the Office of Executive Education

at Harvard University, and has been an

Instructor there for 13 years. He is also a

member of the Harvard Advisory Group,

consulting on international school

programming and planning across Asia.

He has been significantly involved in the

planning and design of hundreds of projects

with a construction value totaling well over $2

Billion in 20 states and 7 countries where his

projects have received numerous local and

national awards for planning and design

excellence.

Deane Evans, FAIA

Director, Center for Architecture & Building

Science Research,

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ

Deane Evans is a registered architect and

currently directs the Center for Architecture

and Building Science Research at the New

Jersey Institute of Technology. He has over 25

years experience – in both the private and

public sectors - in architectural design,

construction technology and building

performance.

Mr. Evans current area of concentration is

high performance, sustainable buildings,

particularly housing and schools. He is author

of the High Performance School Buildings

Resource and Strategy Guide, a set of

guidelines for school superintendents and

other key decision-makers that describes what

high performance schools are, why they are

valuable to students, teachers and parents,

and how they can be cost-effectively

procured. He is also the host of a four-part,

online multimedia lecture series based on the

Resource and Strategy Guide.

Mr. Evans was the curriculum content

coordinator for a 25-module, online training

course for architects on designing high

performance schools. He also established the

New Jersey High Performance Schools

Information Center in cooperation with the


New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation,

and he recently launched the Daylighting in

Schools Online Training Program, developed

under a grant from the U.S. Department of

Energy’s Rebuild America program.

Mr. Evans is a Fellow of the American Institute

of Architects and currently serves as the Vice

Chair of the Sustainable Buildings Industry

Council. He has a B.A. from Yale University

and an Masters of Architecture from

Columbia.

Frank M. Locker, PhD, AIA, REFP

Principal, DeJong.Locker

Dover, NH

Frank Locker, principal of Frank Locker Inc,

consults as an educational planner and

school designer from a base in the greater

Boston area. An architect, former educator,

and trained facilitator, Frank is a former Vice

President of DeJONG, one of the country’s

leading educational planning firms. Frank

Locker Inc affiliates with DeJONG through

DeJONG-LOCKER, and also consults with

Fielding Nair International, a world-wide

leader in planning innovative schools.

Honored as Planner of the Year by the

Council of Educational Facilities Planners

International for his comprehensive planning

approach, consensus building process, and

state-of-the-art school design, Frank leads

clients to better position their schools for the

long term future through visioning, school

structure, development of educational

programs, and connections to community

context.

Practice areas include Visioning, Educational

Program Development, Educational

Specifications, District Master Planning, and

collaborative Concept Design.

Frank focuses on these most important

educational planning issues:

● Transforming educational practices to

improve learning

● Building stronger relationships through

school structure

● Planning for changed educational delivery

in the long term future

● Flexible facilities to anticipate changing

educational needs

● Facilities impact on learning

● Impact of technology on educational

delivery

● Positioning schools in the community to

improve learning

Continuing educational initiatives include co-

teaching the school planning course at the

Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive

Education program, and frequent keynote

speeches and workshops at national and

regional school planning conferences.

Recent topics include “Linking Student

Success to School Facilities” (New England

School Development Council, Marlborough,


MA) and “School Design in the 21st Century”

(American Architectural Foundation, National

Press Club, Washington, DC).

Current projects are in England, Cayman

Islands, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, Rhode

Island, and Alaska.


____________________________________________________________________________

Biographies of Institute Organizers

Ron Bogle, Hon. AIA

President/CEO, American Architectural

Foundation (AAF)

Washington, DC

In 2002, Ron Bogle was named the seventh

president/CEO of the Washington, D.C.,

based American Architectural Foundation

(AAF). With the appointment, Bogle brought

to the position a career-long commitment to

public service and his lifelong passion for

community development, civic engagement,

education, art and architecture. Under his

leadership, AAF has significantly expanded its

program scope and impact. At AAF, Bogle’s

efforts are squarely focused on creating and

sustaining programs to identify and advance

best practices for the design of livable

communities across the country. He also

created and leads Great Schools by Design, a

national AAF program that provides resources

to local community and educational leaders

engaged in K-12 school facility design and

construction. In addition, he is the managing

partner of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design,

a renowned program co-sponsored by the

National Endowment for the Arts, the US

Conference of Mayors and AAF that provides

innovative resources to mayors across the

country about city planning and design.

Bogle’s professional experience includes

senior leadership appointments in higher

education, business and non-profit fields. A

native of Oklahoma City, he served nine

years on the Oklahoma City Board of

Education and several years as the Board’s

President. While in Oklahoma, Bogle was a

leader in two major initiatives resulting in

over $1 billion in public-funded support to

transform the commercial and cultural

viability of the city’s urban center by

replacing or restoring a wide range of civic

and educational facilities.

Nancy Zivitz Sussman

Program Director, AAF

Washington, DC

Nancy Zivitz Sussman began working as

program director with the American

Architectural Foundation (AAF) in September

2005. Her main responsibility is to establish the

Great Schools by Design program by

conducting school design institutes and a

range of forums related to the planning and

design of community learning centers. The

program emphasizes the importance of

design to aid student achievement and serve

the entire community.


Before joining AAF, Sussman was senior

associate with the Advisory Services Program

at the Urban Land Institute. She also has

worked as a community and urban planner

with the City of Fairfax, Virginia. Earlier in her

career, she was on staff with the D.C.

Department of Housing and Community

Development and did hospital master

planning for the Office of Construction at the

U.S. Veterans Administration. Sussman has

worked in the private sector as a planner for

Flatow, Moore, Bryan & Fairburn, Inc., in

Phoenix, Arizona, and for Parkins, Rogers &

Associates in Columbus, Ohio. In the

intervening years, she worked as a consultant

to numerous economic development and

planning groups, including the Lessard

Architectural Group, the Federal Realty

Investment Trust Company, Economic

Research Associates, EDAW, and ADE &

Associates.

She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from

Ohio State University and a master’s degree in

urban and regional planning from George

Washington University.

Joyce Tsepas

Program Coordinator, AAF

Washington, DC

In August 2006, Joyce Tsepas joined the

American Architectural Foundation (AAF) as

program assistant for the Great Schools by

Design program. Before AAF, she worked at

Urban Studio, a small architecture, landscape

architecture, and urban design firm, in

Atlanta, Georgia. Her key role at Urban Studio

was to develop and manage a master plan

and design guidelines for the Cleveland

Avenue Corridor Study—a joint effort with the

South Fulton Medical Center to revitalize a

dilapidated corridor in East Point, Georgia.

With Urban Studio, Tsepas also worked on

various infill and adaptive reuse projects in the

Atlanta region. Other work experience

includes interning with the Atlanta Regional

Commission, where she co-wrote the annual

report for the commission’s Livable Centers

Initiative (LCI) by evaluating local policy and

physical development progress throughout

the Atlanta region.

Before her time in Georgia, Tsepas interned for

the environmental planning division of the

Monroe County Planning Bureau in Rochester,

New York. She also has work experience as a

part-time substitute teacher in Wayne County,

New York. Tsepas has a Bachelor of Science

degree in architecture and a master’s degree

in city and regional planning from Georgia

Institute of Technology. For her graduate

research, Public School Siting and Design; A

Call for Community Development in the

Atlanta Region, Tsepas explored the

implications that Georgia state policy and

local practices have on high school siting and

development patterns in Fulton County.


Jess Wendover, AICP

Senior Program Director, AAF

Director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design

Washington, DC

Jess Wendover is the Director of the Mayors’

Institute on City Design, a 21-year old program

that is managed as a partnership of the

American Architectural Foundation, the

National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S.

Conference of Mayors. In this capacity she

has worked with over 35 American mayors

and cities to help local leaders better

understand issues of urban design so that they

can advocate for better built environments in

their own communities.

Before joining the Mayors’ Institute in 2006,

Jess served as the Community Design Director

at Urban Ecology in San Francisco, California,

providing pro bono community planning and

design assistance to low-income

neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Her primary project was the design and

development of a community cultural center

in East Oakland. The position at Urban Ecology

was made possible by the Frederick P. Rose

Architectural Fellowship. Her previous work

experience includes architecture, housing,

and community development work in New

York and Baltimore.

Jess earned a Master of Architecture and

Master of City Planning from UC Berkeley and

a B.A. in Architecture from Columbia

University. During her graduate work, Jess was

awarded Berkeley’s Branner Traveling

Fellowship, and visited 27 national capitals,

researching public use of space in and

around parliament buildings. She also

received the Architecture Department’s

Graduate Instructor of the Year Award.

School Design Institute: Fall 2007 Report

Documents

Transcript of School Design Institute: Fall 2007 Report