Project Narrative
The design for the Ruth Fisher Elementary School renovations began with a masterplan for the entire site, so that "big- picture" issues can be discovered and addressed before proceeding to more specific designs. This process of discovery began with a series of meetings with a core group of administration, staff, and community members. During these meetings, project goals were outlined and needs were articulated.
A number of themes emerged from these discussions. Foremost of these was the desire to create a school in which the students, staff, District, and even the larger community could take pride. Doing so will promote a sense of ownership that makes everyone say, "that's my school!" Partly in response to this desire, the administration was moved to a more prominent location where it will be housed in a new building highly visible from Indian School Road. Closely related to this goal of creating school pride was the desire to celebrate the unique history of the region, a concept that will be explored further as the design process progresses.
Equally important to creating a sense of school pride was the need for a safe and secure learning environment. At the masterplan stage, this meant locating the administration such that after school started, all visitors would have to check in with the office and be given access to the campus. This reason warranted the new location of the administration building. Likewise, a campus fencing plan was developed that would allow direct access during drop-off and pick-up times while maintaining security throughout the school day.
Another theme that emerged from the design discussions was the the desire to create a more coherent campus. Applied to the masterplan for the site, this desire meant creating a more organized circulation route. A main pedestrian "mall" will lead from the administration building and link the buildings and major paths, creating an opportunity for a shaded and landscaped walk through the campus.
