Rio groundbreaking handout book

September 20, 2017

Rio School District K-8 STEAM Academy | Groundbreaking

MEANDER (N.): A BEND IN A SINUOUS WATERCOURSE OR RIVER FORMS WHEN MOVING WATER IN A STREAM ERODES THE OUTER BANKS AND WIDENS ITS VALLEY.

THE MEANDER QUAD + OUTDOOR MAKERSPACES AT KG-2ND GRADES WITH MUD WALK, PLAY BERMS, HAMMER + NAILS STATION, RIVERROCK CREEK

THE EVOLUTION OF THE EDUCATIONAL MEANDER

Inspired by the adjacent Santa Clara River, the “meander� that runs through the site erodes and forms the buildings around the central waterway and Quad. Much like the spontaneity of the curriculum and students, the meander evolves and takes different paths, which are then reflected in the forms of the buildings.

Each Makerspace has a focus to encourage tinkering and lingering, and is connected directly to the classroom environment with large, folding doors, as well as to the outdoor quad and makerspaces. Students from all grade levels can interact; a younger student can walk to the upper grade area, where they will continue advanced study in an area of special aptitude, or ask for assistance from an older student with a project or lesson.

The learning environments flow naturally from one to another, like the neighboring river, encouraging students to move easily from lecture, to lab, to special project centers.

ES 3RD-5TH ESGRADE

SECOND FLOOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

GRADE MS 6TH-8TH (6TH-8TH) SCIENCE SCIENCE

FIRST FLOOR

ES

ES

FIELDS

FIELDS Quad

MS (6TH-8TH)

KG PLAY

SCIENCE

ADMIN KG VISITOR PARKING

KG DROP-OFF

STAGE LIBRARY MPR FOOD SERVICE

PARENT DROP-OFF

BUS DROP-OFF

MAKERSPACE: K-8 COLLABORATION + CONNECTIVITY

THE MEANDER CARVES ARCHITECTURE

1

KINDER / ADMIN

2

ELEMENTARY // 1ST - 2ND GRADE

3

ELEMENTARY // 3RD - 5TH GRADE

4

MIDDLE SCHOOL // 6TH - 8TH GRADE

5

MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM / FOOD SERVICE / LIBRARY

THE MUDROOM PRIVATE PATIO PRIVATE PATIO

OUTDOOR STEAM

STEAM CENTER

EXPERIMENTATION, TEAM-TEACHING + PRIVATE INSTRUCTION WHEN SLIDING DOORS ARE CLOSED

HB

FOCUSED STEAM CENTERS / MAKERSPACES PERFORMANCE / DIGITAL ARTS CERAMICS SCIENCE

READING BUILDING

GYM LIBRARY NURTURE