Academy design honored
Sutter County's Feather River Academy won a national design award from DesignShare, a nonprofit company co-sponsored by School Construction News.
The academy, an alternative school in Yuba City run by the Sutter County Superintendent of Schools, was unique in its design to begin with, said Superintendent Jeff Holland, because the students were in on it from the beginning.
“I was really impressed by the Web site and saw the caliber of these internationally-known architects who did the judging,” Holland said Tuesday. “We received an honor design award, which was due in part to how we designed the school; being the use of students.”
The design company, Architecture 4 Education of Pasadena, got the students' views about how they would like to see the classrooms. Students wanted lots of windows, color and a less schoollike look overall, Holland said.
The school was completed two years ago.
The project was submitted for the awards program by the architects and reviewed by an international team of 12 judges who are considered experts in educational facility planning, architecture and research.
Each year, some members of the review team are replaced, which means the criteria and key principles are continually evolving. The current review team included leaders from five countries, according to the Web site.
Holland said that although he had received word that the school won an honor award, he has not been notified as to whether or not there is a reward or compensation.
“We haven't received the commendation portion yet; we were just notified,” Holland explained. “As I understand it, we will be featured in some of the national architect magazines in a month or so.”
Holland added that the company said a contact with more information would visit the school and make everything official by the middle of the month.
“It's just really nice to hear, and this facility is multiple-use too, not just a school,” Holland said.
Appeal-Democrat reporter Kymm Mann can be reached at 749-4707 or kmann@appeal-democrat.com.
