Office of Mobile Design (OMD) has designed a new middle school campus to expand The Country School’s existing preschool and elementary school campus. Our concept for the project centers around educational, environmental and fiscal responsibility. OMD has put a fresh face on prefabricated classrooms by incorporating modern design sensibilities, making these buildings virtually indistinguishable from site-built structures. We employ sustainable systems such as abundant natural light, cross ventilation, eco-friendly materials, efficient lighting systems and integration with the surrounding landscape, making these buildings healthy environments from which to begin the learning process.

The three prefab buildings are composed of eleven steel-frame modules. Each contains metal siding and roofing, large operable windows and doors, Expanko (made from rubber and cork) and bamboo flooring, Biocomposite panel cabinetry (made from sunflower seed husks) and Homasote (made from recycled newspaper) wall cladding. High sloping 13 foot ceilings and pendant lighting enhances the spaciousness of the classrooms. The 960 sf central building houses the middle school offices and the library. The 2400 sf west building contains three classrooms, the language lab, lockers and toilet rooms. The science lab and art studio make up the 1930 sf east building. The art studio doubles as a multi-purpose community room at night.

Portions of the existing middle school have been renovated by OMD to provide offices, a faculty lounge, a new music room, and a faculty toilet room. The landscape was designed in collaboration with Mark Tessier Landscape Architecture and features outdoor classrooms and gathering space, an amphitheatre, raised vegetable garden beds, a butterfly garden a frog pond and a stream. The native plant families were selected to encourage learning through their seasonal changes. And, the introduction of an edible garden allows the children an opportunity to experience the agricultural life cycle. It was our sincere hope that each individual child would feel a sense of importance and belonging on their new campus by providing them with wonderful indoor and outdoor spaces for socializing, gardening, playing and discovering.