To this end, schools should be flexible, right down to the wheels on the furniture. In his Midtown office, Terry Hyer traced his finger along a schematic for the proposed South Anchorage high school. A central open area indicated a kind of main street running the length of the school, with a series of skylights to usher in the sun. Hyer, of ECI Hyer, lead architectural firm for the school, pictured students navigating an open upper level, with small groupings of scholars in teaching alcoves below. Lots of skylighting in the common areas and classrooms is meant to create a sense of place, take into account the body's time clock and provide mental stimulation.
Lighting is important.
Daylight and operable windows in elementary schools have been linked with an increase in productivity. Typically, high schools are organized departmentally. There's a science block, a languages block, etc. The new approach offers options for how the school is organized, breaking down the population of 1,600 students into teaching houses of 400 each. Hyer's design also can accommodate houses with 200 students on each level.