John Rex Elementary

[Spartan]

I might be able to understand a liquor store not being allowed next to a school if it attracted vagrants and such, but schools are usually done for the day by about 3:30PM and most night clubs/bars don't even get started until 8PM. They could operate in the same building and the users would never interact with each other. I think the distance rule is totally unnecessary.

No kidding. The point though is that the school being downtown would be a good thing, but at the same time, we NEED to change this damn law. It's getting ridiculous.

[Pete]

I say don't build the school until the law is changed.

They merely need to give the owners of the school the option to opt out of this restriction.

[Larry OKC]

Does the school have to be "open" or does the purchase of the property and/or construction trigger it??? Sort of like what we are talking about in the Bricktown bar thread. If it is only triggered once the school opens, any businesses have a couple of years before it might apply to them (Mr. Wenger stated that a realistic opening date for the DT school was 2014).

[urbanity]

Charter connection

OKCPS entered a memorandum of understanding with a nonprofit to make the downtown elementary a charter school.

http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/ar...onnection.html

[G.Walker]

Found this on TAP's website, like the layout so far, looks like the school with be multiple stories, and pushed out to the street, can't wait until final rendering!

[Skyline]

No good! This is Okc it needs more surface parking!


j/k

[Just the facts]

That layout sucks! Make it 2 story square with an inner courtyard. Why expose the playground to the street at all?

[G.Walker]

That layout sucks!

why?

[BoulderSooner]

i also like the future plans for a downtown 7-12 academy

[MDot]

why?

You have to remember who JTF is. LOL

[G.Walker]

^ Well its pushed out to the street so I thought he would be happy with that? lol

[MDot]

^ Well its pushed out to the street so I thought he would be happy with that? lol

I noticed you mentioned that so I was like "Kerry will love this" but then I read his comment and just facepalmed and laughed. LOL

[mcca7596]

That layout sucks! Make it 2 story square with an inner courtyard.

I was thinking that would be the obvious layout as well. At the least, I thought the building would touch all four corners of the block.

[Just the facts]

I noticed you mentioned that so I was like "Kerry will love this" but then I read his comment and just facepalmed and laughed. LOL

Lol - when I get off work I will explain.

[Rover]

That layout sucks! Make it 2 story square with an inner courtyard. Why expose the playground to the street at all?

It's a School, not a prison. Even here in NYC the playgrounds are not necessarily totally enclosed by a building.

How many students is this to serve? How many sq ft are required. A full sq block multiple story seems like a lot of classrooms.

[Just the facts]

It's a School, not a prison. Even here in NYC the playgrounds are not necessarily totally enclosed by a building.

How many students is this to serve? How many sq ft are required. A full sq block multiple story seems like a lot of classrooms.

There in is my problem with it. Two sides of the property will have the building pushed to the sidewalk but the other 2 sides will have a fence - ie. a prison. This layout will also miss the opportunity to define Sheridan as an urban street because it will have huge setbacks on that side. Plus there will be a connection between the playground and the street. I am sure there is some school district or state guideline that says there has to be X sq feet of grass for each student and that is the problem with trying to create an urban environment with suburban building codes and guidelines. It is self-defeating.

If it was me I would have made the building a square that went to all four sidewalks. On two of the streets I would have classrooms in a 2 to 3 story structure, the third street would have administration, cafeteria, and multipurpose room, the 4th street would have parent and bus drop off/pick-up and on top of that a 2 story parking garage for teachers, administrators, and visitors. From the outside it would look like a giant building taking up the whole block but what you won't see from the street is the inner courtyard of grass for outdoor activities. If additional outdoor space is needed they could do a green roof.

Like this but longer and wider to take up the whole block. The kids play in the middle.



Philly City Hall Courtyard. Plenty of room to play.

[ljbab728]

There in is my problem with it. Two sides of the property will have the building pushed to the sidewalk but the other 2 sides will have a fence - ie. a prison. This layout will also miss the opportunity to define Sheridan as an urban street because it will have huge setbacks on that side. Plus there will be a connection between the playground and the street. I am sure there is some school district or state guideline that says there has to be X sq feet of grass for each student and that is the problem with trying to create an urban environment with suburban building codes and guidelines. It is self-defeating.

If it was me I would have made the building a square that went to all four sidewalks. On two of the streets I would have classrooms in a 2 to 3 story structure, the third street would have administration, cafeteria, and multipurpose room, the 4th street would have parent and bus drop off/pick-up and on top of that a 2 story parking garage for teachers, administrators, and visitors. From the outside it would look like a giant building taking up the whole block but what you won't see from the street is the inner courtyard of grass for outdoor activities. If additional outdoor space is needed they could do a green roof.

Like this but longer and wider to take up the whole block. The kids play in the middle.



Philly City Hall Courtyard. Plenty of room to play.

Kerry, that would be a totally impractical use of the site. The building would have to take up much more room than is needed and there would not be nearly enough open space on the site for a playground. Remember this is being built for the students, not for adults who want only an urban landscape with all buildings abutting a street.

[Just the facts]

If you want a suburban school downtown you got it. Good luck.

[Rover]

No, just sensible, user friendly urban design. Not all urban buildings require absolutely to the street design.

[Just the facts]

No, just sensible, user friendly urban design. Not all urban buildings require absolutely to the street design.

Do you like the design presented?

[Architect2010]

If you want a suburban school downtown you got it. Good luck.

Having personally seen suburban schools in Oklahoma City, this diagram is already light-years more urban in comparison. I don't know what suburban schools you're talking about, but they all have enormous setbacks. Hundreds of feet sometimes and a parking lot between that and the school itself. There are no setbacks in this diagram unless you count the REQUIRED play area situated BETWEEN the back of the school buildings and streets. The buildings DO all abut against A street. Just because the structure won't be stretched into a 2-story square to meet every bordering sidewalk doesn't mean it can't be urban...

Historically urban schools such as Emerson, Classen SAS, Page Woodson, or others all have setbacks also. The only school structure that I can recall being truly up to the street is the old Central High School, and the current Dove Academy on 23rd. The latter isn't urban at all though.

[Just the facts]

If OKC is the measuring stick you want to go by then so be it. The only thing worse than setting a high standard and not meeting it is setting a low standard and meeting it every time. I just wish OKC architects could dig a little deeper.

[lasomeday]

The building will be L shaped. They have requirements for playground space, and that is the only way they could fit it in. Just because the building doesn't front the street all around does not mean it is bad urban design. The fence can mimic the relationship of a building with the street if it is designed correctly.

The drop off and downtown traffic was a big issue when designing the building. With the school being a magnet charter school, it will be primarily parents dropping kids off, so logistically they will have to be prepared for a lot of car traffic in the morning and afternoon.

I hope the design of the builing is modern and not like any other school. I think TAP will do a great job in pushing the design forward in style.

[Just the facts]

The fence can mimic the relationship of a building with the street if it is designed correctly.

If they did that then it would be acceptable to me (not that I have a say in anything). As for the playground size, as I said earlier, I am sure there are requirements for X sq feet of grass per student. However, just like the urban core parking requirements are different than the suburban standards, so to should the playground size. There is limited space and the guidelines and regulations should reflect that to maximize efficience. Beside, with all the problems in education, is playground size even a concern?

[lasomeday]

Beside, with all the problems in education, is playground size even a concern?

Hence the need for a charter school and not a union led regular public school. A playground will help fight the childhood obesity problem that is also an issue. That being said, I didn't see room for a gym?