School House

Instructor: Sharon Johnston
Location: Des. Moines, Iowa 
Term: Spring 2023


The School House examines vernacular adaptability through Iowa's regional spatial types, responding to Des Moines' Jeffersonian Grid and its landscape of pragmatic construction. The project builds upon two foundational typologies: the barn, with perimeter rooms serving a central space, and the shed, whose hierarchy emerges from its contents. The resulting hybrid laboratory-school creates a dynamic balance of private and open spaces, like a secluded garden with strategic glimpses outward, demonstrating how agricultural vernacular can shape contemporary educational spatial structures. This spatial strategy enables a fluid interweaving of community and academic functions, where research spaces blend seamlessly with areas for public engagement through approximating a courtyard type. Through careful consideration of regional building traditions and contemporary programmatic needs, the School House establishes a new model for rural-urban educational facilities.