Berkshire Elementary School Project
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cubellis, an international architecture, interior design and engineering firm, is pleased to announce that Berkshire Elementary School, West Palm Beach, FL was selected for inclusion in Penton Media's American School & University®2008 Educational Interiors Showcase. It is featured in the August 2008 edition of the magazine and also on the Web at www.SchoolDesigns.com. The annual competition honors educational interior design excellence, and spotlights projects representing some of the most effective learning environments in America.
A jury of American Institute of Architects (AIA) members and education administrators evaluated submissions from architectural firms, schools and universities across the country. Berkshire Elementary was among 109 projects chosen for the Education Interiors Showcase. AS&U is a monthly educational facilities, purchasing and business administration magazine reaching 65,000 facility planners, school and university administrators and architects with this issue.
Featured projects include designs that took essential elements of education design - security, creating an environment for learning, a healthful environment - and packaged them into an award-winning facility. In making the selections, the jury considered sustainability, character, long-term appropriateness of materials and colors, innovation, safety, balancing collaborative spaces and being adaptable to current and future technology.
The Berkshire Elementary School, the largest elementary school in the District with 148,000 SF of educational spaces, is designed specifically to address the space needs of the 1048-student population, while providing a safe and intimate setting for the individual attention needed to address the hearing-impaired and deaf student population.
The new media center, a colorful and vibrant setting created to reflect the Hispanic heritage of the student population, is flooded with natural light to provide an active environment that allows for private reading, computer learning, and group activities simultaneously. Additionally, the library is placed on the floor above the administrative area, providing a bridge to the community during the evening, while keeping the educational spaces secured.
"At Berkshire Elementary School, it is easy to appreciate how Cubellis' unique solution embodies the children's needs, while promoting cultural appreciation for both the students and the community," said Merrill Romanik, AIA, NCARB, Principal, Architecture and Interior Design at Cubellis. "The design serves as an interesting and functional space for both the students and the community, providing a space that is conducive to quality learning for all."
More information about the Educational Interiors Showcase, including a complete list of 2008 projects selected for publication, is available on American School & University's Web site at www.SchoolDesigns.com.
About American School & University
Founded in 1928, American School & University is devoted exclusively to education facilities/business administration. The authority for information about the educational facilities market, AS&U delivers an insightful combination of exclusive reports, special focuses and how-to articles each month. For more information, please visit www.ASUmag.com and www.SchoolDesigns.com. American School & University is published by Penton Media, Inc.
