A+I’s design for AltSchool Union Square is a combination of shared open areas and more individualized, private spaces for “self-directed focus” (seen here). Courtesy Magda Biernat
Is it a school, an office, or a bit of both? If it weren’t for the student art projects covering the walls, visitors at AltSchool Union Square might believe that they’d stepped into a stylish tech start-up’s offices instead of a middle school.
Eschewing the cookie-cutter floor plans and Crayola-box color palettes of traditional elementary schools, AltSchool’s new model campus in New York City borrows from the basics of open-plan office design: Classrooms feature a mix of collaborative pods and individual nooks; a communal dining area doubles as a design lab for tinkerers; and the main assembly area is an indoor, bleacher-style structure, a common feature in trendy offices today. Each classroom is also equipped with soundproof glass “phone booths” that offer students a place for “self-directed focus”— a self-imposed time-out session.
The 12,602-square-foot learning center is the architectural manifestation of AltSchool’s personalized pedagogy. Founded by former Google executive Max Ventilla in 2013, AltSchool is a network of small schools in San Francisco and New York that gives students priority over teachers in running the curricula. Kids set goals, evaluate their progress, and have a voice in shaping their schoolrooms.