Thaden School: Architectural Design Integrating Hands-On Learning with Sustainable Campus Planning
Thaden School: An Innovative Educational Approach Serving the Community
Thaden School in Bentonville, Arkansas, is a model of the modern independent school, combining both middle and high school education. The school features a unique curriculum that integrates academic excellence with hands-on learning, providing students with a comprehensive and inspiring educational experience.
Innovative Educational Programs
The school focuses on three distinctive programs, each blending theoretical knowledge with practical application:
- Wheels: This program allows students to explore concepts in physics and mechanics through hands-on activities, including building and using bicycles and various wheeled machines. - Meals: This program combines biology, chemistry, and community-based learning. Students participate in growing and preparing food, enhancing their practical skills and understanding of the natural world. - Reels: Focused on developing storytelling and visual communication skills, this program engages students in film and video production, giving them opportunities for creative expression and media literacy. Community Partnerships and Learning Opportunities
The school seeks to enhance learning beyond the classroom through partnerships with nearby community institutions in visual arts, culinary arts, cycling, and community service. These collaborations provide students with diverse educational experiences, enabling them to apply what they have learned in various settings, both inside and outside the school.
The "Whole Student" Approach
Thaden School embraces the concept of the "Whole Student / Whole Body," encouraging learning in multiple environments, including indoor and outdoor spaces. This approach enhances students’ understanding of the world around them while developing their practical and personal skills in a holistic manner.
The building's profile features a rhythmic saw-tooth roof that echoes the region's agricultural heritage while managing natural light. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
The campus layout uses covered walkways to connect different "houses," encouraging students to engage with the outdoors between classes. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
The "Wheels Building" features a soaring roofline that provides shade for hands-on learning activities and bicycle maintenance. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Campus Planning: Integrating Structure and Nature
The campus plan is based on unifying two separate parcels of land by creating a shared street that accommodates cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. This reflects a versatile design and promotes interaction among all campus users.
Building Design and Sun Exposure Strategy
The long, narrow buildings are strategically oriented to manage exposure to harsh southern sunlight while allowing natural ventilation through the upper edge of the roofs. Additionally, the buildings are deliberately bent to avoid long interior corridors and to define a clear framework for outdoor gathering spaces, creating open and diverse educational and community environments.
The Campus as a Learning Tool
The campus serves as more than just an educational space—it is a learning tool in itself, incorporating:
- Productive Landscapes for Agriculture: Enhancing hands-on learning in farming and sustainability. - Environmentally Restored Landscapes: Addressing flood issues and restoring native ecosystems, providing students with opportunities to study practical environmental solutions on-site. Design and Implementation Team
The project represents a multi-phase implementation of a comprehensive plan developed in collaboration with Eskew Dumez Ripple, landscape designers Andropogon, and engineering firm CMTA. Marlon Blackwell Architects designed six of the seven buildings, completed between 2019 and 2021, reflecting effective coordination between architecture, engineering, and landscape design to achieve an integrated and sustainable learning environment.
The master site plan shows how the campus is woven into the urban fabric while creating a sustainable green oasis.
Tilted columns support the expansive roof, creating a shaded corridor that connects the campus and facilitates cycling. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
The "Home Building" uses color and form to establish a unique identity on the campus, blending green tones with warm wood accents. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Thaden House Building (2019): History and Rehabilitation
The home of pioneering pilot Louis Thaden, after whom the school is named, was relocated to the northeast corner of the campus to serve as a gateway from the intersection of E Street and C Street.
- Exterior: Carefully preserved and reconstructed to reflect the house’s original appearance, with the addition of a new separate bathroom south of the house to form a courtyard, following the common designs of early 20th-century Ozark farms. - Interior: The house opens to a spacious main entrance and a council room, while the smaller wing contains a meeting room and gallery. The second floor was reconfigured to house a special archive documenting the history of the house and the Thaden family, linking the school’s educational function with its historical roots. Arts and Administration Building – Reels Program (August 2019)
The Arts and Administration building was designed to host the school’s signature Reels program and includes classrooms, wet labs, and integrated administrative spaces.
- Sustainable Environmental Design: The building addresses environmental challenges related to water collection and natural lighting through a waved roof that frames entrances and connects with the surrounding landscape. - Ventilation and Lighting: The varying roof heights provide daylight and natural ventilation, improving interior environmental quality and enhancing comfort for students and teachers. - Location: Situated at the northeast corner of the campus, the building features a large arcade connecting it to the Thaden Performance Center and a shared courtyard with Thaden House, enhancing connectivity among all buildings and facilitating circulation across the campus.
At dusk, the building’s transparency reveals the active learning spaces within, bridging the gap between indoor and outdoor environments. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Generous skylights and warm interior finishes create a welcoming and well-lit atmosphere for students in the common areas. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Floor plan of the Reels Building, highlighting the decentralized layout that fosters intimate learning environments.
Connecting Administration to the Reels Program: First-Year Support
The Administration building shares its site with the Reels program, enhancing connectivity to campus activities and providing a supportive environment for first-year middle school students.
- Organized Interior Design: Classrooms and wet labs are divided by service areas, including storage, restrooms, and mechanical spaces, contributing to smooth circulation and easy access to resources. See more on Interior Design. - Dynamic Learning Environment: A naturally lit corridor connects the various labs, surrounded by learning and study spaces that encourage student collaboration and create an interactive educational experience. Science and Fabrication Building – Wheels Program (August 2020)
The Science and Fabrication building hosts the school’s signature Wheels program, fostering interaction between the school and the community by connecting the campus to the Bentonville plaza.
- Location and Orientation: The building is situated west of the Student Commons and south of the Thaden Performance Center, opening eastward to create a sense of entrance and welcome for visitors. Explore more Cities projects. - Facade and Roof: The canopy along Main Street acts as a "showcase" for the campus and creates an outdoor workspace for the Wheels lab. The building’s roof serves both as a sculptural expression and an architectural performance feature, visually distinguishing the structure. Interior Planning and Learning Spaces - Program Distribution: The linear layout is based on a simple spine, with signature programs positioned at the east and west ends, facilitating circulation and daily use. - Outdoor Spaces and Community Interaction: Covered areas extend to expand student workspaces outdoors, linking learning to the external environment and showcasing activities to both the campus and the local community. - Maker Space: Located within the Student Commons area, ensuring that students and their projects are always on display, fostering innovation and engagement. Related Projects. - Natural Light and Collaboration: The large central corridor accommodates collaboration and study areas, benefiting from consistent overhead natural light throughout the year, creating a comfortable and stimulating learning environment.
The Red Barn serves as a vibrant community hub on campus, referencing local pastoral architecture through a modern lens. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
The deep overhang of the Red Barn provides a sheltered outdoor space for students and their bicycles, promoting active transport. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
On-site retention ponds and wetlands are integrated into the campus planning to manage stormwater sustainably. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Sectional perspective of the Red Barn, illustrating the complex structural timber system that defines the interior volume.
Inside the Wheels building, students engage in hands-on learning through bicycle maintenance and design. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
The gymnasium features a complex timber truss system that creates a warm, voluminous space for physical education and gatherings. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Bike Barn – Bicycle Storage (May 2020)
The Bike Barn is located on a small hill at the eastern edge of the campus, adjacent to the soccer field, Cyclo-cross track, and Pump Track. It is integrated into a network of pedestrian pathways connecting the school to a wider trail system across northwest Arkansas, promoting sustainable mobility and encouraging cycling.
- Interior Design and Multi-Functionality: The barn’s roof was redesigned in the Ozark Gambrel style to maximize clearance under the beams, accommodating a variety of sports such as volleyball, basketball, and cycling, in addition to bicycle storage. - Local Materials: The beams were crafted by a local artisan through collaborative development using regional Material Datasheets and expertise, while the exterior walls are clad in local cedar wood with finishes that alternate between traditional red paint or clear protective coating. - Ventilation and Natural Lighting: Except for storage areas, the entire space is naturally ventilated through open wooden slats, ventilated roof openings, and revolving doors, creating a comfortable and flexible environment for sports activities. - Facade and Outdoor Rooms: A deep arcade overlooks the soccer field, providing shade and shelter for spectators, and enhancing connectivity between indoor and outdoor spaces. See related Architecture designs. Performance Building – Performance (November 2021)
The Performance building is situated at the northwest corner of the campus, highly visible to the public and serving as a community engagement hub while maintaining campus security.
- Supporting Educational Programs: The building hosts a wide range of performing arts programs, including music, theater, and film production, with direct access to a world-class performance venue. - Spatial Layout and Facade: The varied spatial planning reinforces the school’s mission as a space for artistic innovation and experimentation. The wide loggia and canopy create a welcoming street-facing facade, while the skylit entrance guides visitors inside. - Natural Lighting: Each of the three performance halls has a single large window allowing soft, indirect light, creating an ideal environment for performances while maintaining focus within the halls. - Flexibility and Multi-Use: Direct connectivity between the stage and backstage area allows for the organization of diverse performances, making the building a versatile and professional space for creative activities. Related Architecture Competitions and Competition Results.
A dramatic triangular skylight pierces the canopy, casting dynamic shadows and connecting the sheltered outdoor space with the sky. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
Strategically placed windows and facade patterns create a dynamic visual presence for the school at night. (Image © Timothy Hursley)
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
From an architectural perspective, the Thaden School project provides a clear example of integrating educational planning with the built environment, showcasing smart solutions in building distribution, natural ventilation, and the integration of open spaces with educational programs. These elements can be considered limited strengths, enhancing hands-on learning experiences and facilitating movement between buildings.
However, several aspects warrant observation: the overall design relies on forms that are relatively familiar in Arkansas, which constrains architectural innovation within a broader context. The use of waved roofs and exposed outdoor spaces may impose operational limitations during certain seasons or in extreme weather conditions. Additionally, the linear arrangement of buildings and some covered areas could restrict future flexibility for expansion or functional redistribution, while parts of the campus remain affected by congestion or overlaps between educational and community activities.
Despite these considerations, the project provides a valuable foundation for studies in educational planning and sustainable architectural design, allowing analysis of the interaction between educational structures, the environment, and hands-on programs to inform future projects with greater flexibility and adaptability to user needs.
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
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