EwingCole designed the Hanscom Primary School to show the new standard for military children schools in Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts.

The new Hanscom Primary School is a model of the US Military’s Department of Defense Educational Activities (DoDEA) effort to create a new standard of creative teaching and learning environments for US military children and families on bases throughout the world. The basis of this program, “21st Century Learning,” promotes the development of learning skills of critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation, collaboration, communication, citizenship, and social responsibility through integrated team teaching and project-based learning. Our team sought to reflect this approach throughout the building design with spaces that promote both one-on-one teaching and group teaching. All the spaces, from the smaller “studio” learning spaces to larger common areas, are visually and physically connected to instill the sense of a learning community. Additionally, each learning studio is connected to its own natural ecosystems within a few feet of the interior, creating opportunities for outdoor learning.

Architect: EwingCole
Photography: Halkin | Mason Photography