March 19, 2021
Revisioning and Expanding the Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Classrooms
At the March 4 Building and Finance Committee meeting, Frederick Quinn Corporation (FQC), the Construction Management Company, presented the budget contract for the demolition and construction of the Junior Kindergarten classrooms and the Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten (JK/K) hub area anticipated to begin this summer.
DLA Architects provided design sketches of the space for review. The designs for the Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten (JK/K) portion of the building include creating two JK classrooms and a JK/K hub. The existing JK classroom will be expanded to 850 sq. ft. A second 820 sq. ft. classroom will be created using a portion of the current Multipurpose Room. The plan includes a shared toilet room between the two classrooms, which will have child-appropriate sized fixtures. There will also be an 1100 sq. ft. JK/K hub
Last year the District held Visioning Sessions with faculty, parents, students, and community members, and out of these sessions came a list of guiding principles to use as a roadmap for the learning spaces. In early 2021, DLA Architects collaborated with the JK/K faculty and the administration to discuss the guiding principles and curriculum delivery and how this would be incorporated into the design. This also included a site visit to a recently completed Early Education Center.
JK/K Renderings for download
The elements in the designs that correspond with the six Master Facilities Plan guiding principles include:
1. Personalization
a. Critical thinking and courageous advocacy
Space will consist of zones for age-appropriate stem activities (lego, large-scale blocks, sand, water tables, etc.)
b. Creative and visible learning
Tackable surfaces for displaying student work and writable surfaces located at student height are features in new classrooms and the hub.
d. Social-emotional growth
The active hub provides self-directed learning through play and facilitates different modes of student interaction and collaboration
2. Accessibility
a. Warm, safe, and inviting
Student scale (cubbies, loft space, quiet areas, toilet rooms)
Age-appropriate colors
b. Cultural and global inclusivity
The hub design was inspired by the realization that younger children first learn how to engage with the world through a connection to their home and local community
c. Pedestrian and bicycle access
Student access directly outdoors is provided through a connection adjacent to the hub space
3. Flexibility
a. Agility of spaces and furniture
Limited fixed items, furniture is moveable and reconfigurable to accommodate various activities
b. Neighborhood clustering
JK/K neighborhood is created from a central hub space and staff collaboration area
4. Community Orientation
b. A hub of community connection
The neighborhood provides a sense of community within the school for the JK/K grade band, with the staff collaboration space functioning as a team-building space for staff
c. Preservation of tradition and history
Familiar features of the Village of Kenilworth (train station and train tracks) are incorporated into the hub
5. Outdoor Connectivity
a. Connections to nature
Biophilia (love of elements found in nature) is incorporated with cloud forms and color in the ceiling, while land features from the surrounding geography (Lake Michigan, Townley Field) are incorporated into flooring patterns
6. Sustainability
a. Maximum efficiency
Upgrades will be made to the mechanical systems in 2022 with a new efficient water source heat pump system and controls
New LED lighting is included in renovated space with dimming controls and daylight harvesting
b. Indoor comfort and wellness
Healthy, low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials, that are either recycled or renewable are specified for flooring, paint, and acoustic clouds
Personalization is realized in the hub space by allowing there to be many different zones for age-appropriate STEM activities, such as working with large blocks or sand and water tables.
Through discussions with JK/K teachers, it was realized that younger children first learn how to engage with the world by connecting to their homes and the local community. The hub is inspired by the Village of Kenilworth and incorporates shapes representing the train station and tracks, along with significant features found in the community. The green floor represents the grass of Townley Field, and the blue pattern represents Lake Michigan.
To maintain a flexible and accessible space, changing and movable furniture is recommended to accommodate various activities. Some furniture areas will have different-sized tables for independent play.
The outdoor connectivity to nature was also essential, and the design includes elements of grass, acoustical clouds, and blue acoustical ceiling tiles to represent the sky.
To maintain sustainability in the design, renewable products such as linoleum no-wax flooring and products with recycled content, along with Low-VOC and Zero-VOC paints and wall coverings will be used. Finish material selections are durable and have low maintenance. Tackable and writable surfaces to display student work is at the student’s level.
Changes incorporated in the design will allow the ability to expand our early childhood offerings depending on community needs. It is also a possible partnership space for activities with the Kenilworth Park District or NSSED. Teachers will be able to use the active hub to achieve so many of their goals around our play-based curriculums.
The design creates a space for students to achieve future-ready learning goals collaboratively.
The designs were represented at the March 15, 2021, Regular Board Meeting, where the DLA Architect’s contract and the budget for this portion of the project were approved.
