And they said, “We want it to be rural”

And we said, “What does rural mean to you?”

And they said, “I’m not sure. I guess we like the idea of rural.”

With that our task was initiated. Replace an existing elementary school in a decidedly rural area with a new school that connects with the community’s roots through an exploration and expansion of their rural identity.

A connection to the land: The very controlled (or bound) patterns of rural development and the stark contrast it creates with the unbound, free-flowing nature that surrounds and intersects it significantly influenced the site and building parti:

Open space versus confinement

Protection versus exploitation

A “ranch” at the edge of a field surrounded by trees

Anchor yourself to the trees and observe the field

Frugality, the use of materials at hand: Curved beams salvaged from the original school are reused as arching columns, generating a curvilinear form reminiscent of your grandfather’s barn. This curving and arching form links and bisects the rectilinear wings of the school. The circulation and communal learning spaces such as the library, the interdisciplinary learning lab, and resource classroom all reside within the free-flowing core.

Self Sufficiency and Independence: A super-insulated building envelope, geo-thermal heat exchangers, and photovoltaics to generate enough electricity for more than half the building’s energy needs are a significant start.

The new Machias Elementary School renews and expands the idea of rural. It reveals a new “American Gothic”.

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