Solutions / Design Approach
Efficiency Multiply the Space Without Expanding the Building Prioritizing team connectivity and proximity
carts, and improved individual storage were carefully
meant ensuring that MSD Wayne Township’s full
selected to make up for any perceived loss. And
administrative team could have dedicated space
sliding glass doors are featured in many offices in
within the renovated Education Center. But since
order to occupy as small a footprint as possible.
the building was not being expanded – in fact, the exterior of the building wasn’t touched – it
Storage was also simplified in order to optimize its
was imperative that the new interior spaces were
effectiveness. The team went through the strategic
designed as efficiently as possible in order to
process of evaluating their storage needs, from short-
accommodate the full team. The first step was
term necessities that can be kept in personal spaces
grouping teams together according to the new-
or in onsite closets, to long-term items that can be
and-improved organizational chart and ensuring
stored in an offsite warehouse. That differentiation
workplace proximity so that each team could work
enabled decisions to be made about how the
together to serve the district and its teachers and
Education Center’s mail room, storage rooms and
students more effectively. For example, the human
individual workstations could be better organized.
resources, special education, and executive teams
Clarifying and cleaning up have also created a more
each now have dedicated sections on the first floor,
effective space for mail and deliveries to be received
and the business team occupies the second floor.
and processed securely, for supplies to be stored, and for staff to enter and exit the building separately from
To enable this reorganization, unused and
the public, as they prefer.
unnecessary spaces such as a large workroom full of defunct office machines, a redundant hallway and showers in the restrooms had been easily sacrificed. Large and inefficient conference rooms were similarly converted into a collection of numerous smaller meeting rooms, which are especially effective for parent conferences or other small group conversations that require privacy. Some individual offices, including the Superintendent’s, were made smaller in order to create more offices as well as more effective shared spaces; everyone with a parallel role on the org chart was intentionally allocated the same square footage. But furnishings such as height adjustable desks, monitor arms, rolling cabinets and
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The final design included extensive storefront glazing at collaboration spaces and workstations to increase the sense of transparency and access. Numerous breakout meeting areas and spaces for impromptu interactions were developed to foster interdepartmental discussion. Wherever possible, views to the exterior were maintained to draw natural light deep into the building.