WESLEY & ASSOCIATES,
ARCHITECTS
629
S. McDonough Street, Montgomery, AL. 36104
Phone:
334-264-0201 Fax: 334-264-0217 Email:
wesley11@mindspring.com
4.0 Educational
Construction and Renovations:
For my thesis in 1972 I took the original site plan where
the Auburn High School was built and proposed that the Board had hired
me instead to design a state-of-the-art high school. The existing
school design had removed all the trees, flattened the site as much as
possible and built octagon classroom buildings and rectangular boxes, all
connected by a multitude of covered walkways. My "redesign" of the
school came at a time when many changes occurred in educational theory
with team teaching and open classrooms and other experimental variations.
After extensive reading, research, and discussion with teachers and administrators,
I formulated my design. I imagined all different theories and procedures
on translucent overlays and looked for universal needs. Needs grouped
themselves into 1. Quiet studious class areas (teacher & self directed
learning and library areas), 2. Loud and noisy class areas (band, choral,
art, shops), 3. Play areas (a large gym with outdoor play areas nearby),
4. Group activities (auditorium and large group theater learning areas),
& 5. Support areas (administrative space, lunch areas, and maintenance).
To facilitate these need areas I placed a space frame in the air and terraced
down the sloping hill while minimizing disturbance to the trees.
Circulation to and from a school is very important so I placed separate
bus and automobile access to the school. The upper area of the terraced
floor held the media center and administrative spaces. In the center
was a circular assembly area dividable into 4 terraced teaching areas.
To the east was the cafeteria with a walled outside eating area under the
shade of the tall trees. Sunlight and fresh air being important to
good health as well as good nutrition. To the west was the gymnasium
and outdoor play areas. Downhill from the terracing were the large
noisy areas such as shop, art (let them use the same welders! since the
artists can influence automotive repair and vice versa), and band.
The band practiced in a semicircular area terraced down with huge sliding
doors that opened to out outdoor amphitheater for open air concerts and
open play during good weather days. This faced a cemetery so I figured
they could play their hearts out; loud enough perhaps to wake the dead.
Upstairs behind a sound wall was one large open area dividable into individual
classrooms or double rooms or whatever happened to be the theory of the
times. This I felt allowed teaching to be a laboratory for learning
and learning to teach could evolve and improve freely. Generally
the design did well. I was very proud of it and learned a great deal
about education from an educator's as well as an architect's side of the
challenge.
4.1 JACKSON MIDDLE SCHOOL in Jackson, Alabama.
The old school burned down to the ground and the firm
I was with was hired to design the replacement. I was chosen as the
project architect. From pictures of the old school we used a very similar
entry design to maintain the emotional attachment from the past.
The interiors were designed with contemporary classrooms, media center,
and office spaces. The school board was very displeased with their
last few schools from another firm that required computer programming out
of Atlanta to cut on and off the air-conditioning. They were too
high tech for a rural school system. To maintain the responsiveness
of a high tech system we designed classrooms in pair with residential type
split HVAC units for each pair. This allows rooms in the sun or shade
to respond as needed for the comfort of each pair of teachers. The
principal was in charge of pairing teachers of similar natures as possible.
Last I heard they are still pleased with the system and the building.
The superintendent and principal are shown in the photo on the top right.
The superintendent received the "Man of the Year" award that year.
4.2 HOUSTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in Talladega,
Alabama.
This school is a dream come true for me. Though
working for another firm, as project architect I dedicated my efforts to
all the wonderful teachers in my elementary school in Talladega.
Those were wonderful years growing up with wonderful friends and their
families. The school teachers in Talladega were like family to me,
my foster mothers and fathers ("alma mater" and "alma pater"?). This
building has many unique elements. The long wide drive around the
front gives plenty of time to see and find your kids. (While our 3 boys
were young, my wife and I learned how hard and time-consuming bus duty
can be.) The covered canopy cantilevers over space for 4 cars to
pull up while the benches along the street give places for kids to spread
out and sit while waiting for their parents. This allows greater
ease in the transfer in the morning and afternoon. The buses pull
around in the side parking lot and unload to a separate covered entry and
canopies. The brick sign is aligned with the centerline of the building,
while the tower and covered walk align with the American flag on the flagpole.
The flagpole is also the center of the circular portion of the driveway.
This is a view of the stage side of the cafetorium.
The other end of this space is painted with a delightful mural. The serving
line and kitchen are just beyond on the right along side the side entrance
from the bus drop-off. The principal's office is situated with windows
viewing this space and the bus drop-off, as well as a view of the front
drop-off and front door. Within a few steps the principal can get
a pretty good idea of what and where most people are when entering or exiting.
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