Temporary Prefabricated School Boasts a Multifaceted Façade

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-renovation/" target="_blank">Renovations</a> of historic school buildings often displace students into temporary, mobile and even inadequate learning spaces for years at a time. <a href="http://www.kpcdesignstudio.com/" target="_blank">Kris Celtnieks</a>, a recent University of Oregon architecture graduate, has a thoughtful solution to school renovations - build a temporary, modular school nearby for use in the interim as construction takes place. In Celtnieks' master thesis work, he designed a <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/09/17/gen7s-prefab-eco-classrooms-exceed-energy-code-by-30/" target="_blank">prefabricated school</a> that could be easily assembled and disassembled in order to make the transition period a positive experience for both students and teachers.

The Relief School of Philadelphia was designed to provide temporary classrooms while the existing school is undergoing renovations and upgrades.

The temporary school is constructed out of prefabricated modular components and built nearby the existing school on an empty lot.

The school would be built out of sturdy, high-quality materials in order to last the duration of the renovation, and it could be reused for temporary schools in the future.

Constructed on stilts to minimize site work, the temporary school would be elevated above the street level and could even bridge over streets if necessary to create the space needed.

The three-story building would contain all the necessary classrooms and amenities needed to conduct a school in a normal fashion with little disruption to the students and teachers.

Celtnieks' master thesis was designed specifically for the Julia R. Masterman School in Philadelphia, which is in need of some hefty upgrades.

The temporary school would be constructed out of trusses, modular floor panels and polycarbonate wall systems. Each part is designed to be reused many times and be easily transportable.

Construction would be a quick affair, with little site work needed to provide a solid foundation.

Inside, the school would have ample classroom space, a library, computer rooms, a gym, offices and a cafeteria.

The roof of the building would be made out of a translucent fabric material, installed accordion-style. It would collect rainwater and allow daylight to reach into the school.

Solar passive design would provide shade in the classrooms during the summer months and let in light during the winter.

Geothermal heating and cooling along with natural daylighting would help reduce energy costs.

After the time necessary for the existing school's renovation, the students would move back into the old school and the temporary one would be disassembled and moved elsewhere.