2015 James D. MacConnell Award Winner Selected

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School in Greenville was recently honored with the 2015 James D. MacConnell Award, presented at the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) LearningSCAPES conference in San Diego. The award recognizes comprehensive planning which results in educational facilities that enhance programming, meet multiple goals and connect with their surrounding communities.

The three-story, 179,000-square-foot Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School, part of the Greenville County School District, takes a different approach to education, translating the typical teacher-centered classroom into an experiential, multidisciplinary program. Rather than offer a static learning environment, education is driven by problem solving, discovery and exploratory learning, and requires active engagement on the part of each student.

The design of the $30 million STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) middle school includes labeled, color-coded pipes that exhibit the flow and consumption of resources, while exposed beams, bracing and columns display the school’s physical properties. Glass-wrapped communications and power panels display technological functions, and a bio-retention pond is used for environmental lessons.

To further support this educational approach, the school’s flexible and adaptable learning spaces are similar to more professional research facilities, with a balance of studio, collaboration and lab space, according to a statement by A4LE. These six learning communities provide easy adaptability, allowing teachers and students to morph their environments daily. Through partnerships with local businesses and other agencies, students also have unique opportunities for engaged, project-based learning.

“Fisher Middle School represents a model of collaboration between the school, the community, local business and industry, and the architect and engineering firm,” said Dr. Burke Royster, superintendent of the Greenville County School District, in a statement. “That collaboration resulted in a facility that not only serves as an effective learning environment, but is, in and of itself, a learning tool.”

A multidisciplinary planning team collaborated on the facility’s initial programming and design, evaluating curriculum, long-range planning, technology, and important energy-efficient and environmentally friendly strategies, according to a statement by A4LE. The team included school district representatives, the design team of Greenville-based McMillan Pazdan Smith and educational programming consultant Fielding Nair International with offices throughout the U.S.

The 2015 James D. MacConnell Award Jury Chair Renee Alexander, AIA, of Bend, Ore.-based BBT Architects commented in a statement that Fisher Middle School and others considered for the honor reflect “the innovative school planning and design work that is moving beyond the traditional world of schools as we know them and inspiring transformation in education for tomorrow’s learners and leaders.”

Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School is the first school in the South Carolina to receive the MacConnell Award.