John S. McCain III Elementary School - Buckeye, Arizona
Orcutt|Winslow
Posted: May 1, 2023 | Projects
John Dewey, at the turn of the 20th century, put forth a vision for modern education and reimagined a future in which schools “carefully balance the delivery of knowledge and learning through active inquiry”. John S. McCain III Elementary, the only school to be named after the late senator, embraces and epitomizes these ideals.
Photograph courtesy of Matt Winquist
The school is designed to support the C-STEM curriculum and also fosters social and emotional learning. A community-led, collaborative, co-creation process was utilized to establish a design direction, embed the school into its larger context, and set up the school district for future success.
JSM III is a learning community-based organization. There are three learning communities initially operated along traditional age-based grade bands. They can easily adapt to an ability-based cohort organized around pedagogies involving teacher facilitated-student directed learning. The learner-centric communities feature multi-dimensional infrastructures that support brain-based learning modalities, and offer a high degree of flexibility, variety, and collaborative opportunities at multiple scales.
High performance and biophilic design principles such as ample natural light, views, access to the outdoors, and balance of prospect and refuge, help cater to occupant wellness while creating a solid foundation for higher order learning.
The life, legacy, and ethics of Senator McCain are embedded through a branding strategy employing computational design, as traits for students to unpack through the course of their development and growth at the school.
Architect
Orcutt|Winslow
2929 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85023
www.owp.com
Structural Engineer
Caruso Turley Scott, Inc.
1215 West Rio Salado Parkway, #200, Tempe, AZ 85281
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
IMEG
9000 E. Pima Center Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
General Contractor
Chasse Building Team
230 S. Siesta Lane, Tempe, AZ 85281
Landscape Architect
TRUEFORM
820 N. Central, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Foodservice
TriMark
1904 W. Parkside Lane, #100, Phoenix, AZ 85027
Location: Buckeye, Arizona
Date Bid: Dec 2018
Construction Period: Oct 2020 to Jul 2022
Site: 15.37 acres.
Total Square Feet: 95,000
Building Sizes: First floor, 74,744; second floor, 20,256; total, 95,000 square feet.
Building Height: First floor, 10'; second floor, 10'; floor to floor, 14'; total, 32'.
Number of Buildings: Three; 25 Classrooms, 5 Labs; Auditorium, 100 students; Gymnasium, 720 max capacity.
Basic Construction Type: New.
Foundation: Slab-on-grade.
Exterior Walls: Concrete tilt panel, glazing, metal panels.
Roof: Membrane, TPO rib profile.
Floors: Concrete.
Interior Walls: Metal stud drywall, partitions.
Click here to view the full cost details for this project in the May/June 2023 issue of DCD