Classrooms In The Sky

When we begin a project, one of the first things we consider is whom we are designing the building for and how those people will use the space. We recently completed a new Arts and Science Building at Berkeley Hall School. From the proposal stage through the completion of the project, we never forgot that this building was being built for current students and teachers, as well as for future students and teachers. Though Berkeley Hall is one of the oldest, independent K-8 schools in California, we designed this building to outlast the 21st Century and to inspire art, music and science well into the 22nd. 

The most rewarding part of a project like this is hearing from the people we designed the building for and how our design is working for them. I'd like to share some of the feedback we've received from Berkeley Hall educators and staff.

Stacey Greenwoods, a science teacher at Berkeley Hall, tells us that, "The new science classroom is a beautiful space that inspires investigation and that students are even more inspired about doing science. With the 'learning garden,' they have the opportunity to observe and explore the natural world right from the classroom."

"Parents love the new building," said Nathalie Miller, Director of Admissions. "They walk into the new classrooms, see the views of trees and fields, and all wish they'd had classrooms like this when they were in school."

"It's terrific," said Music Teacher Geoffrey Fontaine. "Music classes had been in our multipurpose room which was shared by everybody. Now we have our own dedicated space. It's a wonderful testament to the dedication of so many people who understand the importance of having both arts and science in our children's lives."

"This building is a reward for all those parents who have been with us and donated over the years," said Richard Harper, Berkeley Hall's Business Manager. "It's also an important incentive going into the future, proof that we can pull together as a community and add a wonderful new building to our campus."

"The classrooms are beautiful, functional and adaptable to our evolving needs," said Craig Barrows, Headmaster. "While the new building blends well with the existing campus buildings, the contemporary design - with its large, angled windows opening to spectacular views - projects a confident, 21st century appearance as our school approaches its centennial."

At Parallax Associates we believe strongly in the power of timeless art and advanced science and comments like these tell us that students and teachers at Berkeley Hall are living the effects of that belief.

What Is "Parallax"?

Did you know, that parallax is as much a part of our everyday lives as the air we breathe? This makes it difficult for us to even notice it! Yet, parallax plays a fundamental role in how we experience architecture and the space around us. "Parallax" is an optics term. It deals with a phenomenon of perception in which the relationship of objects in our environment seems to change as we change our location. Think of how a building, and the objects in front of and behind it, change in appearance as you walk down the block. Now you're thinking like an architect.

As we move through space, our unique point of view is constantly changing. As our point of view changes, objects in the foreground seem to move in relation to objects in the background. Try this: Hold a pencil at arm's length, focusing on it. Close one eye, then the other. The background appears to move in relation to the pencil. This apparent change in the relation between background and foreground is parallax.

But wait, there's more...The instant we begin moving through space, our field of view becomes a fluid interplay of form, space, and light. We are surrounded by continuously shifting physical relationships that provide us with a multitude of sensations and subtle influences.

Set into motion by our movement through space, this lyrical interplay is one of the central delights of human experience. It is a sensation we depend on for orienting to our surroundings, and the basis for our enjoyment of all great architecture.

We at Parallax Associates adopted this word for our corporate identity not just because of its relevance to how we experience space, but because parallax is a powerful metaphor for the dynamic richness of architecture. Architecture is experienced as both background and foreground in ways that involve much more than the sensation of motion through space. A new building stands in the foreground of human culture and is dynamically related to a multitude of "backgrounds." It is constantly measured against adjacent buildings, it makes references to the history of its site, it expresses community values, and it becomes part of the evolving panorama of architectural history.