The future of transportation hubs in the United States will not be defined by iconic metropolitan airport terminals and expansive central train stations. Rural communities contain the majority of the nation's road miles, carry nearly half of all truck vehicle miles traveled, and originate two-thirds of rail freight. These realities position rural transportation hubs as vital regional access points and distribution centers that shape national mobility outside models of urban extensions.

Rural transportation hubs in the United States are essential civic and logistical anchors whose success cannot be measured against urban metrics. Instead of replicating transport hubs of dense urban typologies, designers are developing architectural models that reflect rural realities: dispersed populations, freight-dominant infrastructure, modest multimodality, safety challenges, and social access needs. In many rural regions, a modest airport terminal sustains economic viability, a rail transfer facility connects resource-based industries to national markets, and a regional bus depot provides access to employment, education, and essential services.

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The American Institute of Architects (AIA)'s Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has announced the winners of the 2016 CAE Education Facility Design Awards, which honor educational facilities that “serve as an example of a superb place in which to learn, furthering the client’s mission, goals, and educational program, while demonstrating excellence in architectural design.”

This year's theme was “Visioning and Re-Visioning," which focused on "the ways in which pedagogical innovation and cutting-edge design impact and influence each other." The AIA also notes that education facility design may now be more important than ever, as recent studies have indicated that a positive learning environment can affect a child’s academic progress over a year by as much as 25%.

Find out which projects received awards, after the break.

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