High school or Silicon Valley think tank? The convergence of the two ideas was intentional in the design of Pathways Academy, a magnet high school for students jazzed about technology. The Academy sits at the entrance of the Goodwin College campus and is meant to help 400 highly motivated students transition to college. Goodwin wanted a highly visible, transparent building, fitting its unique campus character. The City of Hartford wanted a stylized building to broadcast the highly technical nature of the school. Designers accomplished both objectives with an exterior that reflects a high tech palette and an interior that provides interactive learning environments anchored around a day lit atrium meant to spark creativity as students learn about robotics, nanotechnology, virtual reality, digital media and physics. Vibrant accent colors, natural light, sleek surfaces, angled walls and vistas in and through the building make it feel like a Silicon Valley work space, ideal for collaboration and flexibility.

The building, v-shaped and joined at the east end with a glazed “hinge” that contains the library, is steel-frame construction with metal stud backup. Exterior high-pressure rain-screen panels are composed of Kraft paper with phenolic resins, the same material used in making circuit boards. The design maximizes natural light and outdoor views with high performance insulated glazing and light shelves, cutting energy consumption and providing visual relief from computer screens. Solar louvers mitigate sun penetration. Other sustainable strategies contribute to a design meeting USGBC’s LEED® Silver Certification.

Material Used :

1. RTS- Fundermax Exterior Panels and Cladding Corp Plus5 Attachment Systems

2. Construction Specialties - Cantilevered Sunshades