The Challenge
Since 1996, Uplift Education has offered children and families a path to — and through — higher education. Uplift Luna’s pair of downtown Dallas campuses offered very little usable outdoor space for students and faculty to retreat from the conventional classroom environment.

The physical school environment plays an important role in student development, and the pandemic highlighted how absence of that environment can hinder aspects of development that aren’t strictly academic. Uplift Education sought a new campus that would bridge personal and academic aspects of development, and provide a welcoming, supportive atmosphere for all students.

The Design Solution
The HKS team started with the following questions: How can design emphasize the academic journey of Uplift scholars with the goal of college achievement? How can design mitigate the less than desirable surrounding site elements of a major freeway and metal materials warehouse? How can design promote outdoor social spaces and the health and wellness of students and staff?

The primary answer was to create an outdoor central quad, finding inspiration from a traditional college campus. The campus parking and school buildings surround the quad as a perimeter defining the outdoor space and protecting it from the noise of the neighboring highway and metals facility. Communal spaces like the cafeteria and gymnasium are disconnected from the academic building and located to encourage outdoor circulation. A system of outdoor paths, canopies, landscaping and open space create a rich quad space that is multifunctional and walkable. Space for Uplift’s signature Road to College & Career program is placed in the center of the quad as a focal point for the entire campus. All areas of the campus can view and focus on the road to college through their educational journey.

The Design Impact
A shift in focus away from the formal classroom and toward more holistic social and emotional development has resulted in higher college matriculation rates for Uplift graduates. The shift emerged as a defining thesis in this campus and points toward a future with a more intentionally fluid, adaptable educational model.

Teachers at Uplift Luna now have more learning spaces, including outdoor areas that allow flexibility and creativity in their curriculum. Students enjoy dynamic outdoor spaces that allow for more socializing, activities and autonomy. Teachers and administrators have reported back that students are spending more time outside before and after school and during their lunch — providing meaningful opportunities for social connection and rest throughout their school day.

This project inspired a joint research project on how the design of learning environments can support social and emotional learning with the Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE) and Uplift, sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers. The first phase of the study is complete where the team developed a Visual Design Guide that includes findings from teacher interviews and a comprehensive literature review that identifies 18 evidence-based design strategies for learning environments. The second phase is underway, with a pre-post occupancy evaluation study in progress.

Design: HKS Inc
Photography: Wade Griffith Photography