2020 Education Facility Design Awards
The year's best school and college facilities, presented by the AIA's Committee on Architecture for Education
The west porch of the Lamplighter School Innovation Lab
Education continues to evolve, and the projects from this year’s Education Facility Design Awards program—presented by AIA and it's Committee on Architecture for Education—represent the state of the art learning environments being developed in today's learning spaces. These projects showcase innovation across the entire learning continuum, displaying how architects are creating cutting edge spaces that enhance modern pedagogy.
From early childhood facilities to higher education and throughout the learning continuum, architecture can be used to inspire learners, educators, administrators, and campus communities alike. This year’s six Awards of Excellence and five Awards of Merit were vibrant examples of contemporary educational architecture.
Amherst College New Science Center
Representing the most significant transformation of Amherst College’s campus since its founding in 1821, the school’s new Science Center facilitates collaboration among students in the sciences.
Canyon View High School
Canyon View High School encourages academic success and exploration by expanding on the notion of a place-based school.
Charles Library at Temple University
The 220,000-square-foot Charles Library functions as the North Philadelphia campus’ social and academic epicenter.
Geffen Academy at UCLA
A new, university-affiliated secondary school serving 620 students from across Los Angeles, Geffen Academy at UCLA provides world-class education opportunities
The Lamplighter School Innovation Lab
The centerpiece of a master plan initiated by Dallas’ The Lamplighter School in 2014, the Innovation Lab presents a new and distinct identity on the village-like campus.
Linde Center for Music and Learning
Built to support the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Learning Institute, the Linde Center for Music and Learning functions as a music incubator
MIT Theater Arts
A 200-seat theater and numerous spaces for dance, design, and experimentation are the hallmarks of the new home for MIT’s Theater Arts Department
The Mubuga Primary School
This redesign and renovation, born from a partnership between the Musanze District of Rwanda’s Ministry of Education and the US-based nonprofit M2 Foundation, has radically transformed one of the district’s lowest-performing and dilapidated schools
Reeds Spring Middle School
This new school in Reeds Spring, Missouri, was placed strategically at the edge of a wooded area to flow gracefully down an existing ravine
Salish Coast Elementary
This new elementary school is designed to reinforce the community’s ties to the surrounding landscape and the network of coastal waterways that comprise the Salish Sea.
Tarbut V’Torah expansion
By leveraging the concept of campus building, this expansion of a private K-12 school in Irvine, California, reinforces the school’s efforts to provide 21st century learning opportunities
Image credits
Timothy Hursley