Active Class Space Phase 2
University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
University of Michigan Momentum Center
Student Collaborators:
Y Nhi Tran
Christopher Locke
Christopher Maj
Amanda Ai
Nicolas Watkins
Sulaymaan Suhrawardy
The Active ClassSpace project Phase Two (the “ACS P2” Project) is based on the initial studies of a
typical elementary school classroom in Active Class Space Phase One by investigating the
speculative proposition of a new urban school prototype. In this prototype, physical activity
serves as a generator for student activities, and the building systems are optimized for catalyzing
varied levels of effort during activities. Consideration of interior and exterior play environments
takes into account sound absorption, activity direction, and material durability while building
systems are investigated for modifications to fire safety guidelines, controlling atmospheric
changes, and increased utility loads, incorporating active and passive architectural interventions
to mitigate the differences in demand.
Questions:
1. What are the building requirements for interior and exterior physical activity zones based on
vertical and horizontal classroom distribution in a multi-story school design?
2. What are the activity requirements and corresponding classroom boundaries that facilitate sound attenuation and visual concealment during activities?
3. How do life safety guidelines and egress patterns affect the proposed architectural
interventions, and what are the corresponding classifications of interior and exterior physical
activity zones based on educational occupancy requirements?
Methods:
1. Understanding current practices in designing multi-story schools.
2. The development of associated and affiliated technological, material, and graphical systems that
will enable deployment of physical activity zones in a multi-story classroom environment.
3. The further development of comprehensive classroom design guidelines into design development
and working drawings.
Massing studies of play transitions as vertical circulation for a multi-story school
Analytical Mapping of Detroit Public Schools
Conceptual Framing of Vertical Concepts planning, and programming distribution