New Definition of the School Portable by Gollifer Langston Architects
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.19.08
The old school portable doesn't get any more portable than this, a "Classroom of the Future" designed by Gollifer Langston Architects for the London borough of Camden. It breaks out of the standard 40' container box, but uses standard container dimensions and corner castings so that it can be easily transported on a standard container chassis.
Hydraulic legs lift the unit off the chassis, which can then drive away;
leaving the unit up in the air, until the hydraulic legs drop it to the ground.
standard container widths are for goods, not students, so the side pops out do create extra room.
The architect writes:
"The proposal is to create a prototype highly ICT resourced demountable "clip-on" classroom for use throughout Camden.
The classroom will be able to be easily fitted out with advanced ICT, and to be installed rapidly, safely and cheaply within a range of primary and special schools in the borough, and potentially accessible to all others . It will be able to adapt and change to suit future scenarios and robust in technology and form.
An opportunity exists to facilitate the use of advanced and developing ICT in an innovative school based environment, different and complimentary to current provision and representing a window on the future.
A means of supporting and enhancing teaching , sharing of good practice and enabling widespread access to specialist teaching and learning materials.
A literal and metaphorical vehicle for learning, disseminating new technology and stimulating learning across the borough - container for ideas- wirefree, web and satellite connected, linking easily to the resources of local, UK and worldwide institutions."
Gollifer Langston Architects via ::cube me
More School Portables on TreeHugger:
The Sustainable Modular Classroom by ARC
Sustainable Portables by the Office of Mobile Design
Project Frog: Too Cool for School
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- An Earthquake-Ready School for China (Just Add Cardboard Tubes)
- School of Life Teaches Life Skills
- The Architect is In- 5 Cents per Consultation
Hey Lloyd, you should consider a post on the topic of how schools degraded in the last 50 years to being soul-less boxes. I guarantee one of the reasons education (especially on sustainability) is lacking is because the physical confines of schools are so incredibly horrible now a days. Check out this link:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/a_photo_essay_on_school_sprawl.html
You could get the whole TreeHugger team to build one hell of a photo essay on this - promote some schools that are doing it righ! I'll bet Kenny Luna could get some good educational stuff going on!