Hastings+Chivetta Architects has completed a 29,738-square-foot renovation to the library at Principia School, a pre-K-12 boarding school located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. The firm served as architect, interior designer, and construction administrator.
Hastings+Chivetta has a close partnership with the school, having completed 12 projects on campus in the past 10 years.
Within the library space, Hastings+Chivetta designers created the IDEA (Ideas, Design, Excellence, Actions) Center to foster student inquiry while integrating educational and technological advances to help students reach their full potential.
The IDEA Center provides a unique learning space that accommodates a range of learning styles and incorporates features geared toward rapid information sharing and real-time collaboration among students and teachers.
Six glass-partitioned collaboration stations with large-screen monitors allow small groups of students to work together on projects, providing input and editing work on-screen.
Flexible seating in the heart of the Center is divided into various sections for large groups and smaller study areas.
Breakout rooms with floor to ceiling whiteboards can be reserved for teaching sessions, while a mix of reading and study areas allow students to work on their own.
Inviting, multipurpose spaces offer digital tools alongside traditional reference sources.
The new Center inspires student learning and ignites new ideas.
The placement of the Center at the entrance to the Upper School speaks to the school’s goal of making the space accessible to the entire Principia community.
Hastings+Chivetta Architects is a St. Louis-based architecture firm specializing in educational planning and design for clients throughout the United States, www.hastingschivetta.com.
