Abstract
The founders of the United States in the 18th century believed that the maintenance of their young democracy would require competent citizens by way of an educated population. These early leaders proposed the development of the public education system that, by way of public schools and public charter schools, instructs 90% of youth in the United States as of 2024. However, funding of the public school system has dramatically declined in the last decades following the recession in the early 2000’s. The political landscape with Donald Trump’s victory for the US presidency in 2024 also sets up the potential dismantling of the Department of Education and further immobilizing of the public school system. Given the difficult circumstances facing public education in the United States, it is an opportune moment to consider how reimagining the programmatic and architectural design of education models can equip youth for imminent challenges. Increasing financial support to improve facilities, retain excellent teachers, and reduce class sizes are proven reforms that improve the quality of education for students – but what if the particular strengths and site features of a specific context and the subsequently responsive architectures could positively influence education? Given this, students within the Clemson University School of Architecture proposed design solutions for urban, public boarding high schools, programmatically and architecturally tailored to diverse locations across the country. The case studies produced show how site-specific architecture and programming can suggest alternative futures for education and enhance public life through design and integration into city fabrics.
Presenters
Amy TrickAssistant Professor, School of Architecture, Clemson University, South Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Architecture, Public, Education, Equity, Urban
