Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

21st Century Military School Chosen for Design Excellence Awards

  • 11/26/14

Woolpert, a national A&E, geospatial firm headquartered in Dayton, has been named a recipient of two awards for school facility design through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) 2014 Chief of Engineers Awards of Excellence Program.

Both honors, the Design Honor Award and the Building of the Future Award, recognize the design of the Barkley Elementary School in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, one of the first schools developed under the 21st Century Education Initiative set forth through the Department of Defense Education Activities (DoDEA) program.

DoDEA aims to replace aging primary and secondary schools – some as old as 50 years – serving the students of U.S. military families worldwide. The department’s goal is to ensure that its 181 schools, located around the world, provide an environment that supports 21st Century teaching practices and high educational standards while meeting resiliency and sustainability objectives.

Established in 1965, the USACE award program promotes excellence in design achievements by USACE and its professional contracting partners. The Barkley School design team included DoDEA, the USACE Norfolk District, the USACE Louisville District and Woolpert.  The firm has been continuously working with DoDEA since 2004.

“We’re pleased to bring our expertise in 21st Century school design to the partnership with the USACE Norfolk District, USACE Louisville District, and DoDEA,” said Doug Brown, Woolpert’s project director. “Our work has been a true collaboration to develop innovate design solutions that will help to shape the future of education for children from U.S. military families.”

The Chief of Engineers Design Honor Award recognizes the school’s innovative design, which incorporates open and flexible spaces to accommodate multiple learning and teaching styles. The building features a rooftop learning garden, and an inviting, dynamic information center that encourages students to learn and explore.

The Building of the Future Award showcases design innovations that significantly reduce energy requirements and their associated costs. In this regard, the Barkley structure represents a compact, ICF building envelope with a geothermal HVAC system to maximize energy efficiency and savings.

In 2013, Woolpert’s design of the Barkley Elementary School was recognized with the Learning by Design Outstanding Project Award and the American School and University Work in Progress Citation Award.

Featured

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.