School Building Design
School Building Design
Michael Poness, AIA of WMCRP Architects was the lead architect when the new Seven Locks building was built and later completed in 2012. Realizing the unique opportunity to weave the rich history of the C&O Canal into the building design, Mr. Poness worked with parent volunteers, teachers, and the National Park Service to help celebrate the history of the canal with carefully-chosen design elements.
In a piece written to celebrate the LEED certification of the building as well as the C&O Canal design references, Mr. Poness wrote:
“The building design celebrates the history of the C & O Canal with many references. Facsimiles of lock gates greet students at the main entrance to the building. These are repeated inside. The central hallway is accented with blue tile representing the canal and terminates with a photo mural of the canal. The red stone used on the exterior references the Red Seneca Stone quarried nearby and used for sections of the canal. The architects, teachers and parent volunteers worked with the National Park Service to establish exhibits that further celebrate the history of the canal. The Park Service has been so impressed with the effort to incorporate this history that they selected Seven Locks as the only elementary school in Maryland for a new canal curriculum.”
You can read the full PDF article here: