Advanced Technologies Academy is a magnet school established in 1994 that was small and had about 500 students enrolled. A-Tech earned national recognition of being rewarded as a Blue-Ribbon school two times and received the Magnet Schools of America award as a School of Distinction in 2008. In 2000, the gym was built to provide students an area for physical education, but it lacks the connection with the rest of the school and it seems isolated and misplaced.
Design Problems: A-Tech’s gymnasium itself lacks characteristics of a gym because it did not provide adequate space for students to perform cardio exercises and physical education. For example, the basketball court lacks enough seats to provide the whole student body to participate in assemblies and other important events. In addition, locker rooms provide only small amount of storage for students who have P.E. and the rooms are always intoxicated by sweats and odors due to the poor ventilation system. Furthermore, the gym lacks encouragement and attractiveness to motivate students to develop healthy habits by exercising. The U.S. is considered to be the most obese country in the world with 34 % adults overweight. It is essential that school gyms provide an environment where students can enjoy and experience physical activities to promote a healthy life.
Design Solution: My way of approaching these problems are to redesign the interior and exterior of the gym. The exterior as of current standards blocks natural sunlight and attractiveness for students. The division between the tennis courts and basketball courts by the huge grass field isolated the gym from the rest of the facilities; therefore moving the gym to a closer proximity would enhance connection between P.E. and sports. The interior shall be expanded so that it allows more lockers and larger classrooms for teachers to teach necessary courses that improve students’ understanding of Physical Education. Glass Panels and openings would allow more sunlight and natural air into the gymnasium. The weight room shall provide more machines and components to escalate student’s work out each day. These characteristics would certainly revolutionize the overall performance of the gymnasium and students will be more likely to participate in physical activities.