A New Architecture for a New Education Ball State University

CASE STUDY: InDIAnApolIS, In

FOUNTAIN SQUARE ACADEMY

Figure 2.25.1: SENSE is an elementary charter school that shares the same repurposed Leedy Drum Factory building with FSA.

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IntroductionFountain Square Academy (FSA) is located South of downtown Indianapolis and is an adaptive reuse facility for middle and high school students. FSA is a free public charter school committed to breaking the cycle of poverty, one child at a time, through education. FSA is one of very few schools offering a Middle College program, which allows our qualifying high school students to take real college courses for real college credit, free of charge.

OverviewProfile Completed: Spring 2011Location: 1615 S. Barth Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46203Grades: 6th-12thStudents: 269 StudentsYear Organized: 2005Square Footage: approx.

Learning Snapshot: Fountain Square Academy has adapted the Leedy Drum Factory into a free public charter school for students in middle and high school.

HistoryFountain Square Academy occupies the historic former Leedy Drum Factory. This factory produced the Purdue Drum that can be seen at many of Purdue’s sporting events.

The tuition-free public school was invited to open in the neighborhood by the Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND)Corporation in 2005, sharing the same building with the elementary charter school Southeast Neighborhood School of Excellence (SENSE). Greater Educational Opportunities (GEO) Foundation has provided the financial backing for FSA. It provides a middle and high school, serving grades 5-12, and pays all fees for Ivy Tech college classes for its qualified students.

VisionAt Fountain Square Academy, teaching fifth grade through high school students, all roads lead to college. The curriculum is designed with that ultimate goal in mind. Students with the skills and tools they’ll need to not only receive a high school diploma, but also to excel at the collegiate level. (fountainsquareacademy.org)

MissionFountain Square Academy’s mission is:

• “For each and every child that walks through our doors, college is an expectation. From day one at Fountain Square Academy, students receive a tailored education to make this possible.”

• “It’s an education that fits.” (fountainsquareacademy.org)

Figure 2.25.2: Fountain Square Academy holds classes inside of the renovated Leedy Drum Factory. FSA currently occupies the 1st and 2nd floor and would like to expand into the vacant 3rd floor.

• FSA has established innovative partnerships, like tutoring and the “Middle College” program, to build the skills and knowledge to be successful in life and learning. Each student will graduate prepared to be successful in college and beyond.

PhilosophyFountain Square Academy’s approach to education is to engage each student in individualized learning plans. These specific plans speak to the methods of teaching each child needs for each subject. These methods are executed through grouping the students in like ability clusters of advanced, normal, and lacking. This clustering allows for time to be placed on areas of deficiencies and advancement to be made in strength areas.

The curriculum and teaching methods are designed to let students excel as fast as their ability allows. This kind of competency-based approach lets kids of higher ability progress past students their same age. It also permits students to regroup, master material not mastered at a more restrictive school, then, with new-found confidence, race toward their academic potential.

EnrollmentFSA serves grades 5-12 and is a free public school where any Indiana student may apply

CASE STUDY: InDIAnApolIS, In

Charter School Patterns of Innovation A Building Better Communities Project

FOUNTAIN SQUARE ACADEMY

for admission based on the availability of spaces. Lottery for enrollment is held at the end of January for the upcoming school year. Attendance for this event is not mandatory but is encouraged.

Curriculum

The curriculum of Fountain Square Academy is modeled on a college preparatory school. The difference at 21st Century is that for each student there is also an emphasis on the individual learner. Each student is assessed and given an Individual Education Plan (IEP) upon entering the school. If the student is behind in a particular subject area he or she is given the opportunity to catch up before being moved on to the next subject area. Likewise, if a student has mastered a subject they are able to advance at their own pace, even into college level courses. This is where the Middle College program is most effective.

Middle CollegeAll of GEO’s schools have what they call a “Middle College” program in which students

Figure 2.25.3: The Individual Education Plan and the “Middle College” program together prepares students for higher education in college and success in life beyond.

Figure 2.25.4: The long and narrow classrooms force the faculty to be creative with the delivery of material.

who have mastered high school content are able to begin taking college courses offered through local colleges, like Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. The school pays the tuition for these classes and provides transportation if necessary. In this way many of the advanced students begin college with 20 hours or more of college credit.

FSA offers a couple of interesting extra curricular activities, in addition to its focus on academics, like Robotics and 4-H.

Community EnrichmentThe constraints of limited building space have impelled FSA to forge partnerships in the community. Because they lack a traditional gymnasium, Fountain Square has partnered with a church across the street and the local Salvation Army to share use of their gymnasiums. The local neighborhood organization South East Neighborhood Development (SEND) has helped to create numerous collaborations between the school and the Indianapolis community. A partnership with the Marion

County Public Library provides books for the schools students each week. The Indianapolis Opera Company and the Phillips Music Guild are helping to create musical productions. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful partners with students to keep the grounds maintained. Character Council of Indiana leads character development and the Minority Engineering Program of Indianapolis has provided a number of services to the school’s population. These effective partnerships enrich both the school and community in many ways.

Classroom EnvironmentThrough the adaptive reuse of a drum factory, Fountain Square Academy has created classrooms that range in shape and size to fit their specified types. The design of these classrooms has left many of these classrooms with columns awkwardly placed inside. The layout of these classrooms did not lead to the teacher inherently knowing how to arrange the rooms in the best manor for education. This has created some expressed frustration and creativity in the usefulness of the space.

Figure 2.25.5: The adaptive reuse of the Leedy Drum Factory has led to unique classroom layouts due to the exposed structure.

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A New Architecture for a New Education Ball State University

CASE STUDY: InDIAnApolIS, In

FOUNTAIN SQUARE ACADEMY

Teacher ResponseTeachers had only good things to say about the freedom and support given them in this charter school atmosphere. However, both the staff and the students voiced frustration with the facility itself. Columns in each room make it difficult for all students to see the instructor. Modified walls don’t buffer sound. While there is a lack of sufficient space, there are also portions of the facility that go unused due to their unusual size and shape.

Facility Size: 2 story building with unused 3rd floor, approx. Square FeetYear Completed: 2005Architect: Not AvailableCost: Not Available

Spatial SystemIt is apparent that the adaptive reuse of the Drum Factory has posed many challenges in spatial planning. The layout of the classrooms both within the building and within each space is awkward at times. A more complete renovation of the building would be necessary to create spaces that work for teaching and learning, controlling the location of teaching wall, size and configuration of the space, entry and storage areas, and daylight.

Circulation/Movement SystemOnce a visitor enters the building they are confronted with an intercom system that directs the visitor to walk up the stairs and follow the hallway until they find the office. This immediately creates confusion among the visitors upon entry. The circulation for the rest of the school is based off of one main hallway

with minor movement paths branching off it. The circulation closely follows a finger plan movement pattern and is easily learned and effective for wayfinding.

Site Response FSA faces south, away from the surrounding neighborhood. The administration voiced a desire to partner more with this surrounding community and by opening their building into it, felt this could be accomplished. The Fountain Square community and commercial area in Indianapolis present many rich opportunities for growth and redevelopment.

Safety and SecurityUpon entering the building, guests must be buzzed in downstairs. Then, they walk upstairs and down a hall to the main office. This arrangement is confusing for first time guests,

and there are no signs on the lower level to direct visitors. Additionally, it is easy to enter the building unseen if surrounded by students. There is only one student entrance in and out of the school. This can be problematic in an emergency situation.

Building SystemsThe building appears to have a traditional HVAC system. Artificial lighting is necessary due to the relative lack of windows. The exposed lighting is effective, but higher efficiency lighting is suggested due to the heavy reliance on it. Some teachers have complained about the lack of ventilation and natural light in classrooms due to the small locked windows.

Energy and Sustainable Issues The adaptive reuse of this abandoned factory has positively shaped the redevelopment of the

Figure 2.25.7: One of the noticeable shortcomings of the facility is the blank lifeless hallways that are desperately needing student displays and other creative ways to give identity to the school.

Figure 2.25.6: The adaptive reuse of the Leedy Drum Factory has led to some uniquely shaped classrooms that have created innovative challenges in their use by students and teachers.

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CASE STUDY: InDIAnApolIS, In

Charter School Patterns of Innovation A Building Better Communities Project

FOUNTAIN SQUARE ACADEMY

community. By adapting an existing building this allowed the community to keep a part of its past while creating a new future. The repurposing of this factory into a school was a sustainable method to attain a facility.

FundingLike any public school the funding for the FSA is provided in part by the state. The state provides money to the school each year based on the number of students it has enrolled. This funding goes to pay for the entire operations of the school from teachers salaries to building expenses. Any additional funding needed for the students comes from the school’s management, Greater Educational Opportunities (GEO) Foundation, which also offers curricular support.S.W.O.T.Strengths• Adaptive reuse facility.• Community partnership between Fountain

Square and GEO.• Independent learning philosophy,

neighborhood focus, partnerships with universities.

Figure 2.25.8: The facility currently has a vacant third floor that could be used for future expansion of the school as the curriculum and student body grows. Working with a design professional would greatly help in revisioning the space effectively for use as a school.

Figure 2.25.9: The vacant third floor is an open area with a wide range of possibilities for growth and expansion of school and community use.

Figure 2.25.10: The main administrative office is located on the second floor and posses a possible security risk due to its remote location.

• Joint use of space and partnerships strengthening communities.

Weaknesses• Columns in classrooms obstruct the view for

students.• Some rooms are designed awkwardly. • Poor acoustics distract students.• Disconnect between entrance on the first

floor and the office on the 2nd floor.• Windowless façade provides inadequate

natural light.• No transportation for students.• High transiency of students coming

into and leaving the school make the individualized learning plan difficult to administer effectively.

• Lack of extracurricular activities.• Only one student entrance in and out of

the building.

Opportunities• The facility can grow into its unused 3rd floor.• Windows can be added to the façade on all

sides of the building. • A better connection can be made with the

elementary charter school, SENSE next door.

• Unused elevator could be fixed for ADA compliance.

• HVAC and electrical systems can be updated for more energy efficiency.

Threats• Security issues on the first floor.• Unsecured connection to shared use of space

in gym could pose as a threat. • Partnership with the gym next door can be

problematic if they close.• School losing its charter because of poor

academic performances.

SourcesInterview with GEO Foundation

Site visit and interview with administration

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110404/LOCAL/104040337/1001/contest/Could-bad-charters-avoid-closure-?odyssey=nav|head

http://fountainsquareacademy.org/about.html

http://www.geofoundation.org/

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