The Committee on Architecture for Education’s Spring Conference in Detroit was a highly diverse experience in more ways than one. Each day was packed with tours of distinctive sites and built environments, each learning facility we visited possessed a unique approach to education, each presentation of the conference conveyed varying topics with surprising relationships to the broader theme of rejuvenation, revitalization, and education, and the overall experience of the storied “Motor City” was a lesson in cultural diversity and the diversity of human experience.
Site tours began on Day 2, and not all sites were necessarily formal schools, however all were places of learning. Visits included the Detroit School of Arts, Wayne State University’s Yamasaki architecture, sundry local charter and public schools (Focus: Hope, Boggs K-8, Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School, University Prep Science and Math High School, and Earhart Elementary-Middle School), Wayne State’s new Integrative Biosciences Center, and the Department of Natural Resources’ Outdoor Adventure Center in the Globe building. Each site had a unique take on the goals of education, reinforcing my realization that children are not a homogenous group of learners but have strengths and weaknesses that should be leveraged by programs tailored to their abilities.
The Detroit School of Arts represented a creative approach to emphasizing the development of artistic aptitudes while maintaining standards of general education curriculum delivery by teaching those subjects in an applied, arts-focused setting. Focus: Hope taught us how educational institutions should also be community centers, and that community improvement must be attacked from several angles, including provision of basic needs and life skills, not just via education initiatives. Architects of Wayne State’s new Biosciences Center demonstrated how old spaces (like car dealerships) can be repurposed to fit the needs of 21st century facilities (like cutting edge research labs), when creativity and collaboration with stakeholders are made a priority.
Day 3 continued the theme of unique educational systems, with visits to the College for Creative studies, where display of student work filled the corridors and common areas, and the Henry Ford Academy School for Creative Studies, which benefited from hall-to-classroom transparency by enforcing a policy against covering their indoor window surfaces. In the afternoon of Day 3, an inspiring tour of Cranbrook Educational community schools left us with a high standard of design and education to take with us. Cranbrook’s diverse collection of historical and modern facilities represented an excellent timeline of the past century’s educational design ideals; Kingswood school, designed by Eliel Saarinen was certainly ahead of its time with its use of extensive daylighting, while the new girls middle school, with its multi-purpose collaboration spaces (e.g. cafeteria/meeting room combo) and Steelcase node chairs, represented many modern best-practices.
Conference presentations were also extremely diverse; my favorites were Steve Vogel’s history of Detroit and Cesar Pelli’s keynote address. Having a knowledge of a city’s history provides context and clarity to the local challenges in education, as well as an understanding of the city’s roots, values, and traditions, all of which should be considered when designing a learning facility within that context. Cesar Pelli’s address was surprisingly witty and comical, a breath of fresh air which stood out against the more overbearing tones of the challenges facing Detroit schools. The panel discussion on the final day of conference was about equity and education, and also hit on broader challenges in today’s American educational systems. There were varying viewpoints but all came from inspired and passionate individuals, leaving me with an increased desire to join in the concerted effort to reform our schools and education.
Another aspect of the CAE conference I enjoyed was being able to see many different regions of the Detroit metro area. It was eye-opening to say the least and spoke volumes about the sad history of Motor City but also the hopeful future expressed by local residents and community leaders. It was interesting that location of the schools we visited was not necessarily the main factor in the school’s success, nor was the actual facilities design, for that matter. Rather, the primary factors were the administrators and teachers in the schools and their passion for education. Getting to meet and hear from some of these individuals was inspiring; they are proving that great improvement can be made even with limited resources. All that is required is vision and hard work.
Finally, people made this conference a success more than anything else. The CAE leadership, committee chairs, Kathleen Simpson, and Detroit’s local architects who were involved in the planning did a fantastic job. I am truly grateful that I was able to interact with wonderful architects and professionals who shared my passions and interests. I was able to make new professional connections and even some new friends, which certainly made the experience well worth it. It was encouraging to know there are many individuals across the country who I can join with to expand the effectiveness of education through design. Every interaction I had during the conference was a positive one, and most of the time I learned something new! Here’s to hoping I can attend future conferences with the outstanding CAE community…