Germantown Academy: Innovation Lab and Makerspace Featuring 21st-Century Learning Environment

1100 Architect was in charge of designing Germantown Academy, a private preK-12 school in Pennsylvania. It is the center for innovation highlighting a 21^st-century learning environment housing spaces for collaborative, hands-on learning. The project itself was completed in 2016.

The Germantown Academy

The Germantown Academy was the result of the transformation of a computer lab and a portion of the library. With the transformation, the space offers a flexible learning space for students and faculty consisting of two areas. Those two areas are an Innovation Lab and a Makerspace.

The team in charge of the project also incorporated movable partitions to allow the Innovation Lab to be configured in a number of different ways when needed.

Once configured, the Innovation Lab can accommodate spaces for small group collaboration, individual study, and larger events like robotics competitions and lectures.

The Makerspace

The Makerspace was designed to complement more traditional learning environments, offering a forum for students to test ideas by creating something. They can also do experimentation with technologies such as laser-cutting and 3D printing.

The Makerspace emphasizes transparency which can be seen through the spaces in which the occupants can visually communicate with each other. The transparency also produces an engaging environment, promoting cross-disciplinary learning.

Via 1100 Architect