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The area’s Latino heritage directly inspired
Westfield’s warm color palette. Toledo Public Schools and
designers from The Collaborative Inc, a member of Allied Toledo
Architects, worked with the community to develop a school unique
to this location. “The school draws from the character of the
neighborhood,” said Dan Tabor, AIA, architect/partner on
the project.
Set amongst many older structures along Western
Avenue and Field Avenue in south Toledo, Westfield has a rich,
established presence. “The
masonry elements are considerate of the neighborhood’s history,
while modern details like the metal entry canopy point to its
future,” said Fritz Roberson, architect/project manager
from The Collaborative Inc.
Materials and detailing are carefully used to help the building
fit comfortably with the nearby homes. “The gable roofline
features relate the two story school to the scale of the
surrounding neighborhood,” Tabor said.
The gables, highlighted in red brick, contrast
with the terra cotta and tan colors of the body of the
building. Wide, rough cut brick bands, along with alternating
layers of offset narrow bricks, give the building texture.
During the design process, the team met with
parents and neighbors as a means for gathering input. One
element resulting from those meetings are the bilingual signs
outside each room. Based on the Latino population, community
members wanted these room identification signs written in both
English and Spanish.
As an integral part of the neighborhood,
Westfield aims to educate the entire community. “It’s not only
for educating students, but for educating their parents as
well,” said Principal Marsha
Jackisch.
According to Jackish, Westfield will offer after school courses
to teach English as a second language to adults. She also hopes
to utilize the school’s 25-seat computer lab for teaching
computer skills to both parents and students.
Other
technology includes smartboards, four student computers in every
classroom, and overhead projectors in each classroom. This
equipment provides more opportunities for interactive learning.
“Any time you tell kids they get to work on the computer, they
are excited,” said Jackish.
Opening to students this week, Westfield is
designed to accommodate 350 students in kindergarten through
fifth grade.
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