Welcome Center
Administration
Community Hub
(Work in progress) The transition from neighborhood to school is equally vital for students and parents alike. As a welcoming gateway, the entry experience supports rituals around day’s beginning and end, gives staff the opportunity to check in with the social and emotional wellbeing of students, and assures parents they are handing their children into a safe, positive environment. Parent involvement in Culver City USD is exceptionally high. As the same time, there are families with a variety of needs who would benefit greatly from additional support. The Community Hub empowers each campus to “fit out” the space in a way that best supports their community.
Uses
Welcome Area
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The Welcome Area should function both as a warm, inviting place for all visitors of the building as well as a security checkpoint.
Administration
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Administration will support all required administrative responsibilities and functions associated with the administrative space program. These activities include but are not limited to medium and small group private meetings and individual and group administrative work.
Community Hub
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The Community Welcome Center serves as a multi-purpose space to support the needs of the specific community surrounding each campus. This could include social gathering place for large, medium, or small groups of community members, visitors, educators, and/or learners. Or, it could provide individual work space and one-on-one meeting areas for local non-profit and support services. The space should be open and inviting by offering areas with comfortable, informal seating, and access to abundant natural light.
Key Concepts
Covered Seating
Warm Welcome
Secured Vestibule
Welcome Center
Soft Seating
Parent Resources
Display of Student Work
Dedicated Community Space
Relationships
Spatial Relationships
1
Welcome Center
As a gateway, the entry experience orchestrates the transition from neighborhood to campus. (Edit) Easily manages daily flows of students, supports daily rituals and creates opportunities for staff to connect with students.
2
Assets and Flows
In addition to managing a variety of users—students, parents, community and business partners, the Welcome Center supports many modes of transportation, from access pathways, covered areas with outdoor furniture to bike/scooter storage for students and adults.
Campus Connection
3
Resource Hub
Supports critical relationships—between parents, students and staff, and it serves both the administration and school community with a variety of resources.
4
Control Center
Controlled, transparent access at the main entrance through security vestibule. Reception staff will control access to main building circulation.
5
Community Access
During School Hours
Integrate the Community Hub within the main entry sequence of the building, providing access through the Secure Vestibule with visual connection to the main Administrative reception area.
6
Community Access
After School Hours
The space should be accessible after hours and be able to function independently with an exterior access point and lockable access to the rest of the building. Assure family restrooms are immediately accessible from the Community Hub.
Considerations
Welcome Area
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Provide comfortable, soft seating. Display student work, both physical and digital, in a way that supports curation and rotation. Assure family restrooms are immediately accessible from Welcome Area and Community Hub.
Administration
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The balance of visible transparency and privacy is key. Administrative staff must be accessible, and learners must feel welcomed. Ergonomic systems furniture will be provided for individual workstations. Meeting spaces will offer current technological display systems, appropriate acoustics for privacy, and furniture to support maximum flexibility including mobile, flip-top tables and nesting chairs.
Community Hub
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Meeting furniture should include maximum flexibility for multiple uses, including mobile, flip-top tables and nesting chairs. Workstations should be accommodated with flexible systems furniture to ensure ability to reorganize for multiple uses. Provide sink and/or kitchenette as appropriate, as wells as projection or digital display systems to support a variety of community use.