Q. You have been an architect and project manager for the design public and private facilities for 20 years. What is the best approach to designing better buildings?
A. Whether it is in a developing or developed country, the process is the same: have an understanding of current user needs as well as the aspirations for the facility in 10, 20, or 30 years. Most public buildings are built to last indefinitely, and we have to be good listeners to design facilities that support changing needs. For example, with schools, we must understand curriculums and education and ask the right questions. It’s not: How big do you want the classroom? Rather: What is it you want to do with the classroom? In Jordan, we are incorporating special resource areas where students can work on group projects and have interdisciplinary interaction. Students no longer just sit in desks facing the blackboard, so classrooms must enable student-led projects, leverage technology, integrate with other teaching spaces, and have use beyond the school day.
Q. What are the challenges or needs that communities face when planning facilities?
A. Resources for building and maintaining a facility are always scarce, so getting the most for the investment is critical. Because of this, there is a growing requirement for extended functionality. In the past, communities would build a school in one location, construct a library somewhere else, and then a day care or adult education facility elsewhere. That planning is not practical or valuable. Buildings must have multiple purposes that can be used around the clock by many users. This helps secure community acceptance, participation, and funding.
Sustainability considerations, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®), which use to be a costly premium, are now approached with less hesitation. The District of Columbia, Arlington, Virginia, and some school systems in Maryland, for instance, have established LEED Silver and Gold as the default starting point for school design. Another challenge is conducting construction on sites when occupants don’t leave. In the Middle East, where we are rehabilitating 100 school buildings during the school year, we have to do careful construction phasing so occupants and activities aren’t disrupted.
Q. Are there global standards or components indicative of high-quality facilities?
A. There are many international standards, but few international requirements. But there are some emerging strategies that are gaining traction. Sustainability is a major one. Acoustics is another emerging idea in education. The idea is that if a classroom isn’t good acoustically, students can’t learn. We focus attention on lighting, but less on sound, even though most information is delivered through speech. The U.S. Agency for International Development has highlighted this as a need for their programs, and ASTM International has developed a classroom acoustics standard that has been incorporated into LEED for Schools.
Community involvement and integration are important. The Arlington School District has an intense community engagement process that considers such details as sidewalk width, use of dark skylighting, and appropriate façades. In Jordan, we are discovering that communities are less vocal, but if asked, they quickly share their own concerns for a safe educational setting, bright and inviting environments, and security issues. We create opportunities for more community engagement, which makes for successful projects.
Q. What inspires or motivates you to design better facilities?
A. CDM Smith strives for excellence, with functional, environmental, and sustainability elements a given. We take being good neighbors as must do, not an option. I aim to create good civic architecture that has lasting value, multiple uses, and serves community’s needs over time, even though some of those needs aren’t anticipated yet. Change is inevitable and we try to create buildings that accommodate it over time.
In the long-term, I want to look back and feel like I contributed with my work. In the short-term, I simply enjoy seeing the kids’ faces. In Jordan, the entire community of Al Karama had to relocate to make room for a new development. After we finished building a school in their new neighborhood, we held a community meeting to hand it over. We expected a tense meeting, since their lives had been so disrupted. However, the community was ecstatic and loved the school. It felt like we created an anchor for them in their new community. When we move our tools and trailers offsite, and kids move into the schools, it is very rewarding.
Architect and project manager Sarah Woodhead, AIA, has spent 20 years focusing on improving private and public spaces, including education and healthcare facilities. Her skills include management, planning, O&M, and construction.
