“The best school environments don’t just support learning—they ignite imagination, nurture belonging, and empower every student to thrive.”
Legat Architects
Jefferson Early Childhood Center
Wheaton, Illinois
Client: Community Unit School District 200
Size: 43,000
Completion: 2022
Architect: Legat Architects
General Contractor: Nicholas & Associates
Jefferson Early Childhood Center encourages exploration, environmental education, and peer interaction for students of all developmental stages. Evidence of the facility’s focus on early learners appears in everything from the playful facade and classroom window placement to the energetic color scheme and quiet HVAC system. The efficient design reduces construction costs, and an energy-efficient geothermal system lowers heating and cooling costs.
Legat Architects’ designers drew inspiration not only from administrators, teachers, and parents, but also from community members and specialists ranging from physical and occupational therapists to speech and language pathologists.
JCJ Architecture
Barack H. Obama Magnet University School
New Haven, CT
Client: New Haven Public Schools
Size: 63,000 sf
Completion: 2022
Architect: JCJ Architecture / Pickard Chilton
General Contractor: Giordano Construction Co
Originally located on Orchard Street in New Haven, the Strong School was opened in 1808 and has been relocated multiple times within in the City of New Haven. With a vision “to empower 21st Century learners by giving them the communication, academic, and social skills necessary to succeed in a technologically advancing world,” this PreK-4 lab school was relocated in 2019 to a new site on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). From this location, the School and the University have been able to deepen their collaboration and provide a dynamic project-based educational experience for students and valuable opportunities for students and faculty of SCSU’s School of Education.
KI
Upper Merion Area High School
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Client: Upper Merion Area High School
Size: 300,000 square feet
Completion: 2022
As Upper Merion Area High School officials set out to design and furnish their newly constructed building, they kept one guiding philosophy in mind: learning can happen anywhere, not just in the classroom.
From dynamic commons areas and flexible science labs to collaborative hallways and thoughtfully designed teacher planning centers, each space was intentionally designed to support connection, creativity, and discovery.
Working alongside school administrators, KI helped bring this vision to life with adaptable furnishings that empower both students and educators throughout the building.
Frost Barber of Louisiana
Truman Early Childhood Learning Center
Lafayette, LA
Client: Lafayette Parish School System
Size: 73,000
Completion: 2024
Architect: Grace Design, DLR Group
General Contractor: The Lemoine Company
Truman Early Childhood Center is designed to meet the diverse needs of a thriving community, providing essential resources and support for early childhood learning. Truman is tailored to promote curiosity, creativity, and social skills, ensuring that each child receives the necessary attention and care. Truman aims to set the tone for inclusion and equity while creating opportunities for sensory learning, active play, and flexibility.
Truman Early Childhood Education Center utilizes a unique pod system to provide a fun educational environment for young learners and teachers to form close-knit communities. Divided into five diverse pods - Forest, Sky, Meadow, Lake, and Stream- this system enhances student engagement and supports social development.
Patent # US8764116
VS America
Hokki
5 Shifts Transforming School Design
School design is evolving quickly, driven by a convergence of technology, flexibility, and human-centered priorities. From AI-powered learning tools and multi-use classrooms to smarter infrastructure, wellness-focused environments, and visible sustainability strategies, today’s schools are being rethought from the ground up. These five innovations highlight how districts, designers, and manufacturers are working together to create spaces that are more adaptable, connected, and responsive to how students and educators actually learn and teach.
