to be addressed: What is the role of science in the technology, engineering and math for which he
school program?” offered the acronym STEM.
To answer that question, Leslie turned the floor So, how do we compare the present science
over to EYP and Kip Ellis. The firm has designed building to what could be a new facility? The
some 1.7 million square feet of science-related DuPont Science Center is firmly grounded in and
facilities since 2000 in a number of venues, includ- typical of the 1960s. Its classrooms and labs feature
ing Swarthmore, Hamilton, Williams, the Univer- rows of benches in a traditional teaching configu-
sity of Richmond, Phillips Exeter Academy and ration, oriented hierarchically toward an instruc-
Franklin & Marshall. Much of their design ethos tor’s bench at the front. A newer concept opts for
relates to the thinking behind Project Kaleido- island benches to accommodate teams. Further-
scope, an interactive organization developed by more, the school and the science program have
Jeanne Narum in 1998 to advance the concept of outgrown the present building; purely in terms of
science education. Their premise is based on two square footage it is woefully inadequate.
very interrelated topics: the philosophy of how The whole philosophy of space is critical,
students learn, and the nature of the environment in according to Ellis. The size of the building and
which students learn. The rubric: Pedagogy + Envi- rooms hinges on the number of science courses
ronment = Teaching. taught and students to be accommodated. “You
Ellis is a principal at EYP, with 15 years of need open areas for teachers and students to gather
experience as a planner, designer and project man- in, places where they can conduct experiments and
ager specializing in academic buildings. He under- demonstrations,” he said. “You must think in terms
stands that academic planning can enhance the of stations, in terms of moveable, modular furni-
unique character of an institution, and he main- ture components. You have to think in terms of a
tains that a school’s academic buildings reflect the mentored, science-intensive environment.”
individuality of the place and are central to an Sustainability is another crucial component.
effective learning environment. Part of the plan- “Do we assume that students are engaged, that
ning and design process revolves around liberating sustainability becomes part of the learning
technology, around transforming pedagogy from a process? Or is sustainability more referential, indi-
lecture-based process to an inquiry-based process. rect? A hybrid?” Ellis asked. “Leadership in Energy
“The new thinking revolves around discovery- and Environmental Design (LEED) certification
based learning, drawing on the importance of should be a baseline at the very least. This
memorable experience,” Ellis explained. “It is the embraces design philosophy, materials, HVAC
obligation of a building to work internally, to systems, the works. We must consider the pedagogy
appeal to students’ and teachers’ senses.” His goal is of sustainability, that it becomes a learning imper-
to design a building that brings a teacher’s message ative. We must pass along an appreciation for the
to life and becomes the vehicle by which that mes- ramifications of choice, for the increasing impact
sage is imparted to the class. of our own actions. Our actions have a very defi-
“Scientists no longer work as isolated persons,” nite impact on the larger world.”
he said. “The new approach is to aspire to a team At this stage the design and appearance of a
dynamic.” Mentored investigation is a guided new science center at St. George’s are but glimmers
process dependent on open teaching labs and the in an architect’s eyes. But for a productive day in
ability to work and problem-solve in groups. Ellis March, teachers and planners came together to put
also suggested that the modus operandi of the issues on the table and begin shaping the program-
future will involve a fully collaborative curricu- matic philosophy that will drive the project
lum— an interdisciplinary approach to science, through the coming years.
10 ST. GEORGE’S 2008 SUMMER BULLETIN
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