South Dartmouth Academy

Design was based on a vision of today’s Pedagogies of flexible learning spaces with a variety of seating, writing, and play options, natural lighting, and views to the exterior through the use of windows between corridors and classrooms and at the end of corridors at the Learning Commons.

This two-storey, 5 924-square-meter, P-9 school replaced two aging schools in the area. It contains approximately 25 classrooms and can accommodate up to 730 students.

The design incorporates 21st-century learning strategies such as shared learning commons to encourage collaboration and glassed-in group work areas in classrooms. A key feature of the building is the large glassed-in cafeteria which is shared by all students.

The school easily doubles as a community resource by carefully locating amenities together, proving lock off areas, and encouraging use after hours. Outdoor areas are landscaped to act as a “learning space,” expanding the classroom beyond the walls and into the naturalized extension of the surrounding woods, encouraging environmental stewardship. The school is targeting LEED Gold certification.