AD Classics: St. Coletta School / Michael Graves

Nov 2010

By Megan Sveiven — Filed under: AD Architecture Classics ,Educational ,Featured , Michael Graves, St. Coletta School, United States, Washington D.C.

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A bright and fun building that stands out against it’s surroundings, Michael Graves is well respected for his design that brought hope to the families of children with disabilities in Washington D.C. and surrounding areas.

St. Coletta was founded in 1959 by a couple with a child diagnosed with Down Syndrome. As they had history dealing with the struggle of finding an educational system that worked for their child, they decided to establish the school as a special education charter which serviced and educated children with severe or multiple disabilities. The bright colors and simple forms make it very fitting for the people that the building serves, as it is fun, playful and inviting.

More on St. Coletta School after the break.

The 99,000-square-footage of the plot was built upwards in a series of two-story “school houses” which attach to a double-height central hall with a skylight, referred to as “village green.” The area also includes a community room and full court gymnasium for the students. This large layout wonderfully accommodates all of the programs run by the institution, including an adult day program.

The total cost came to about $32 million, which was appointed from congressional appropriations, a bond secured by Bank of America, and a capital fundraising campaign. What stuns the proud parents, neighbors, and the general population the most is the upscale designs of every aspect of the building.

Students range in age from 3 to 22, and are housed according to age in one of the five individual “houses.”

In a city that seemed insensitive to the needs of the children initially, the parents were so thrilled to see a gymnasium suitable for a college team, and a kitchen suitable for a fancy restaurant. The building also includes a nursing facility, physical therapy centers and a hydrotherapy room. There are studios for art and music, and sensory rooms designed to stimulate students with lights, colors and sounds.

The playfulness of light in the central atrium with arched ceilings and multiple skylights add to the experience, as rooms are brightened and colors are enhanced by the flow of natural light.

Ironically enough, while in the early planning stages of the project, Graves grew sick with a mysterious illness that left him partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. John Diebboll, Graves partner in the project, said that this gave Graves an even greater insight into the needs of the population.

“We have always been drawn to projects for children,” wrote Diebboll. “However, nothing in our lives had prepared us for the day that Michael Graves and I first visited the St. Coletta School in Alexandria. We experienced an immediate connection with the students and staff and realized that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime challenge and an extraordinary opportunity.”

Architect: Michael Graves
Location: Washington D.C., United States
Project Year: 2001-2006
References and Photographs: Michael Graves, St. Coletta School

: © Michael Graves

: © Michael Graves

: © Michael Graves

Cite:
Sveiven , Megan . "AD Classics: St. Coletta School / Michael Graves" 15 Nov 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 26 May 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/88771>

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Matthius says:

Given the circumstances of the project I would say that the design is fittingly simple and inviting, but the design is so visually atrocious….

# November 15, 2010 at 21:08

Matthew says:

In most instances I hate Michael Graves’ design. It’s cartoonish and garish. But in this case, it works. In just a few instances it seems that his language coincides with the program…

# November 15, 2010 at 22:27

Sammy J says:

This is the first Graves project I’ve seen that I didn’t instantly dislike! And I suspect that its playful forms and colours could be appealing to the intended clients.

# November 16, 2010 at 06:33

Peter says:

my day is officially ruined!

# November 16, 2010 at 09:53

kioku says:

Social disaster !!!

# November 16, 2010 at 11:00

nofutureachitect says:

i could never have built that , but i love it..
it looks loose, relaxed and random and then you check those well-balanced plans.. not too schematic, not too circumstantial.

i like it when the guy doesn’t necessarily throw all his creative angst into your face

so why bother with the post-modern look? this building is better architecture than quite a lot of modern-looking buildings we see around.

as for the social disaster, i don’t get it..

# November 16, 2010 at 11:41

Brian says:

Postmodern architecture is back? I would never had guessed that this way of building would get a come-back in real world. It belongs in Disney World…

# November 16, 2010 at 12:48

ey says:

Difficult to understand. But easy if one knows work of Asplund and Plecnik, even Kahn.
POMO is responsible for some of the greatest public buildings, but was terrible at almost everything else.
I just like the freedom of this kind of architecture.

# November 16, 2010 at 14:19

amian says:

Post Modernism is like pretty much everything else in the world: some is good, some is bad.

In my opinion this is good. The plans are legible and complex with what looks like plenty of functional spaces and nice public spaces. The exterior is playful but has enough formality to be appropriate for a school.

Given so much contemporary educational architecture is blandly crisp (read inexpensive) with pasted on details at odd scales this is hugely better.

Personally, I would take a colorfully minimal Swiss school any day but I certainly don’t object to this one.

# November 16, 2010 at 16:03

Norzam Darmin says:

Micheal Graves approach to design often goes against the normal perception of the mass of what building should be. By form this building is not aesthetically pleasing but it’s unique and it’s deviate from the normal thought. The daring use of colour help to rejuvenate the life of its cccupant, making it cheerful and energetic.

# November 16, 2010 at 20:53

Steve says:

Thats a beautiful building, playful and whimsical, perfect for the kids. I especially like the use of the roof tiles in a vertical wall application, an interesting way to achieve the look.

# November 17, 2010 at 10:33

sss says:

there is something awesome about this

# November 17, 2010 at 15:29

Obinna Nwosu says:

I used to like POMO but fell out with it in the late 90′s. But this is refreshing and interesting. Some of Michael Graves’ works will still be relevant

# November 18, 2010 at 10:43

Wonder says:

I LOVE Michael Graves’s designs and this is one of the best. It is also an amazing an inspirational story. I love almost all his works, but this is an amazing building, with a terrific story behind it. :)

# March 9, 2011 at 22:35

jules.gianakos says:

I understand wanting a children’s school to be bright and fun, but this is just awful. I do not understand Michael Graves or his continued insistence upon designing buildings that stand out in the worst way. Graves’ use of individual “school houses” with over-scaled brick patterns are the epitome of kitsch. There certainly are better ways of creating bright and fun spaces without being cartoonish and irrelevant. I do not know how this man is still allowed to design buildings.

# June 14, 2011 at 10:52

Allison Hyatt says:

I agree that Michael Graves’ unique and whimsical style was perfect for this project. As a school for students at a disadvantage to their peers, the St. Coletta School provides an uplifting environment with top notch facilities for its students by utilizing color and natural lighting. I also think that the separation of the overall school house into smaller houses is important to create a smaller sense of community among the students that can be harder to develop in large schools. Overall, the I think that the design effectively mirrors the function.

# June 15, 2011 at 00:36

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3:23 AM Nov 16th

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