Experience
Marshall Craft’s accomplished academic studio creates learning communities that accommodate a wide range of teaching and learning styles in a safe, welcoming, engaging, and sustainable environment. From nurturing pre-kindergarten infants to high school seniors, and students with special challenges, Marshall Craft’s school facilities contribute in profound ways to a lifetime of success in learning.
Please contact education sector lead John Morrel at education@mca.design with questions about our PreK-12 education work or to start your next project.
Independent Schools
Independent schools typically have smaller class sizes and lower teacher / student ratios than their public school counterparts. As with all education institutions, however, teaching models are shifting, requiring modifications to academic buildings and support facilities. Among other trends, many schools are looking to incorporate program elements such as childcare, flexible classrooms, specialized athletic facilities and maker spaces to enhance learning opportunities for students. Other independent school considerations that affect physical space are expanding student populations, safety & security, integration of technology, and alumni involvement. MCA’s mission is to integrate these factors with the unique culture, history, and traditions of each independent school campus.
Public Schools
Marshall Craft has been involved in every aspect of public school design, from master planning, programming, and educational specification authorship to new construction, renovations, additions, and systemic renovations. We have completed extensive school district facilities assessments, including being on the team that evaluated every public school building in the State of Wyoming.
Marshall Craft senior staff have presented multiple times at ASBO Conferences, developed school prototype designs, authored state school building construction standards, developed school system standard technical specifications, sat on a Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for over 15 years and volunteered in public schools through the Construction Industry Educational Foundation.
Behavioral Health Education
Marshall Craft has a longstanding relationship with one of the nation’s leading behavioral healthcare systems. They are the largest provider of non-public, special education programming in Maryland, serving students with special needs, the majority of whom have been diagnosed with autism.
Marshall Craft has developed special education residential and day program school facilities on multiple campuses for students affected by a range of social and behavioral challenges. These facilities and programs serve age ranges from 2 years through young adults of 21 years. In addition to unique curriculum and space requirements, special attention must be paid to all levels of architectural detailing in these facilities to ensure a safe yet nurturing environment for students and staff.
Disability in Education
Marshall Craft has highly specialized experience designing school facilities focused on supporting students with a wide variety of educational, physical, and social needs. These schools must provide a safe, welcoming, and educationally effective environment but often need to accommodate a wider range of considerations and accommodations than a typical school.
These facilities require unique considerations, including flooring color contrast, special lighting, acoustical mitigation, accommodation of specialized mobility equipment for bathing, and many other needs. Some of these facilities are residential and cover a range of student population ages, from infancy to young adulthood, in one facility or campus, requiring a variety of building design solutions.