LPA-designed STEAM school supports project-based learning, team teaching and interdisciplinary instruction.
The Association for Learning Environments’ (A4LE) Southwest Region has recognized LPA Design Studios with 2023 Monarch Award, its highest honor, for the design of the TIDE Academy, a pioneering STEAM-oriented public school in Menlo Park, California.
A4LE’s annual Awards of Excellence program highlights innovative educational facilities that enhance the educational experience. The Monarch Award places a special emphasis on the functionality of educational spaces. This is LPA’s 19th A4LE award win.
A4LE is an association of professionals playing an important role in supporting the evolution of learning environments, which makes this extra special.
“A4LE is an association of professionals playing an important role in supporting the evolution of learning environments, which makes this extra special,” LPA Director of K-12 Kate Mraw said. “We share their commitment to design that puts 21st century skills at the center of learning and fosters the next generation of innovators and achievers.”
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, TIDE Academy is designed to cultivate an innovative and collaborative spirit while inviting community, business and institutional partnerships to drive education. In developing a new model for the Sequoia UHSD, the project team put significant focus on understanding the learner profiles of TIDE students and creating environments that would support the academy’s engineering- and design-focused curriculum. The learning environments are flexible, diverse spaces that support project-based learning, team teaching and interdisciplinary instruction.
“The TIDE design empowers student choice,” said LPA Design Director Helen Pierce. “Indoors and out, the design supports differences in how and where people learn, turning every space into a sandbox for young innovators.”
The award is the latest in a series of peer recognition for TIDE. The three-story campus earned the national Architecture Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), one of the industry’s highest honors, as well as awards from the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) and the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH).
