NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AT STRATFORD PROPOSED INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK AND CONCEPT DESIGN SUMMARY 26 February 2018 CONTENTS Introduction. 3 Interpretive.Concept.Development.Process.Summary. 4. Interpretive.Experience.Narrative. 6 Interpretive.Content.Guidelines. 8 Interpretive.Component.Location.Plan.Diagrams. 9 Interpretive.Component.Concept.Design.Directions. 11 Appendix.-.Superintendent’s.Special.Committee.on.Historic.Interpretation.at.the. former.Stratford.Junior.High.School.Recommendation.Letter.. 34 PROPOSED INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AT STRATFORD AND CONCEPT DESIGN SUMMARY 26 February 2018 INTRODUCTION In.February.of.2017.Arlington.Public.Schools.and.Quinn.Evans.Architects.engaged. This.report.documents.the.outcomes.of.an.interpretive.concept.development.and. Main.Street.Design.to.provide.interpretive.planning.and.design.services.in.conjunction. design.process.that.spanned.multiple.months ..Included.are.a.review.of.the.planning.and. with.the.renovation.and.expansion.of.the.former.H-B.Woodlawn.School,.located.on. design.process;.site.and.building.plans.showing.the.proposed.locations.of.interpretive. Vacation.Lane.in.Arlington,.Virginia . components;.sketches.and.reference.images.that.illustrate.conceptual.design.directions. for.each.component;.a.narrative.description.of.the.overall.visitor.experience;.proposed. The.purpose.of.this.concept-level.exercise.was.to.evaluate.the.feasibility.and. content.outlines;.and.a.discussion.of.implementation.phasing.options . desirability.of.providing.public.interpretation.and.commemoration.at.the.site.of.the We.are.honored.to.have.been.selected.to.assist.the.Arlington.Public.Schools.with.the. events.of.2.February.1959.—.when.four.young.African-American.students.entered.the. interpretation.and.commemoration.of.this.extraordinary.story ..Our.involvement.with.. school,.then.known.as.Stratford.Junior.High.School,.and.took.their.seats.in. the.Stratford.School.legacy.has.been.enlightening,.invigorating,.and.inspiring,.and.our. classrooms,.making.this.the.first.integrated.public.school.in.the.Commonwealth.of. collaboration.with.the.members.of.the.Historic.Committee.and.with.your.project.team. Virginia.and.effectively.ending.the.state’s.policy.of.“massive.resistance”.to.school. has.been.enormously.rewarding ..Thank.you.very.much . desegregation.—.and.to.develop.preliminary.planning.and.design.directions.for.that. interpretation . As.part.of.this.effort,.Arlington.Public.Schools.Superintendent.formed.a.special. Main.Street.Design,.Inc . committee,.including.Michael.Jones,.one.of.the.four.children.who.integrated.Stratford. January.2018 in.1959.and.several.other.community.representatives.with.direct.personal.experience. of.the.period.of.desegregation,.to.guide.and.review.the.interpretive.planning.process .. Main.Street.Design.met.with.the.Stratford.Historic.Committee.on.four.separate. occasions,.and.this.iterative.and.collaborative.interaction.was.essential.to.our.work .. The.committee’s.comments.are.captured.in.the.letter.provided.in.the.appendix . PROPOSED INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AT STRATFORD PAGE.3 AND CONCEPT DESIGN SUMMARY 26 February 2018 INTERPRETIVE.CONCEPT.DEVELOPMENT.PROCESS.SUMMARY Our.initial.meeting.with.the.Historic.Committee.was. The.work.of.the.next.two.workshops.centered.around. Heart of School Heritage Wall. devoted.to.reviewing.the.essential.history.at.the.heart.of. reviewing.and.refining.the.project.interpretive.framework. Located.on.a.major.wall.within.the.new.multistory.lobby. this.project.and.sharing.preliminary.ideas.about.project. and.advancing.preliminary.design.directions.for.core. on.the.school’s.south.side,.a.key.circulation.space.for. priorities,.opportunities,.and.constraints ..We.discussed. project.components ..The.overall.interpretive.framework. students.and.staff,.this.large-scale.interpretive.graphic. the.specific.qualities.that.earned.the.Stratford.School. endorsed.by.the.Historic.Committee,.described.in.greater. element.will.offer.a.dynamic.timeline.of.the.Civil.Rights. campus.its.designation.as.a.Historic.District,.both.in. detail.elsewhere.in.this.report,.is.briefly.outlined.below: era.in.the.United.States,.roughly.spanning.a.forty.year. terms.of.the.social.history.of.desegregation.at.the.school. period.from.1940.to.1980,.interweaving.national.and.local. and.the.architectural.history.of.the.original.school. Heroes Welcome Interpretive Gateways. events.and.presenting.historical.information.whenever. building,.constructed.in.1950.and.designed.by.noted. These.monumental.elements,.to.be.located.at.four.key. possible.in.a.first.person.“voice,”.showcasing.the. International.Style.architect.Rhees.Burket,.Sr ..In.particular,. entry.points.onto.the.Stratford.School.campus,.are. reflections.and.recollections.of.those.involved .. as.part.of.this.discussion,.we.came.to.understand.that.the. intended.to.“mark.the.corners.of.the.site,”.identifying.it.at. school.building.was.notable.not.only.for.its.architectural. a.glance,.even.for.vehicles.passing.on.Old.Dominion.Drive,. Celebration of Diversity Mobile. features.—.characterized.by.the.extensive.use.of.stone,. as.a.special.and.significant.place ..Interpretation.associated. Rising.through.three.stories.of.the.vertical.circulation.core. glazed.brick.and.tile,.and.glass.block.—.but.because.its. with.the.Gateways.will.welcome.and.orient.visitors,. in.the.new.lobby,.this.dynamic,.kinetic,.visually.striking. commissioning.by.the.County.was.a.powerful.and.visible. introduce.core.content.and.themes,.and.honor.and. assemblage.of.interacting.and.intersecting.images.will. symbol.of.Arlington’s.increasingly.progressive.social. celebrate.the.four.African-.American.seventh-graders.—. serve.as.a.powerful.reminder.both.of.the.vital.place.the. values,.values.which.led.directly.to.the.city’s.central.role. Michael.Jones,.Gloria.Thompson,.Lance.Newman.and. Stratford.School.occupies.in.the.history.of.the.American. in.defeating.“massive.resistance ”. Ronald.Deskins.—.who.first.integrated.Stratford.Junior. Civil.Rights.movement.and.of.the.enduring.importance.of. High.School . the.ideals.that.movement.embodied ..Mixing.images.of.the. At.our.second.workshop.we.worked.with.Quinn.Evans. four.pioneer.students.and.Arlington.and.Stratford.during. Architects,.representatives.of.Arlington.Public.Schools. Historic Path Interpretive Trail. the.period.of.desegregation.with.contemporary.images. and.the.Historic.Preservation.Program,.and.members.of. This.sequence.of.linked.interpretive.installations.and. illustrating.the.multicultural.character.of.the.community. the.Historic.Committee.to.identify.and.evaluate.potential. hardscape.elements.proceeds.down.the.steep.hillside. today,.it.will.be.a.celebration.and.a.reminder.of.the. locations.for.interpretive.experiences.on.the.Stratford. from.Old.Dominion.Drive.to.the.school,.roughly.tracing. essential.interrelationship.between.historic.events.and. School.campus.and.within.the.school.building,.and.to. the.route.of.the.original.pathway.that.the.four.students. contemporary,.universal.experiences . review.and.discuss.a.wide.range.of.possible.interpretive. took.on.their.way.to.school ..The.focus.here.will.be.on. methodologies.and.techniques.and.design.styles ..The. exploring.the.events.of.2.February.1959;.the.local,.regional. Stratford Self-Portrait. outcome.of.this.exercise.was.a.shared.vision.for.a. and.national.context.in.which.they.occurred;.the. To.accomplish.the.larger.mission.of.Stratford.School. preliminary.framework.of.promising.interpretive. experiences.of.the.four.integrating.students;.and.the. interpretation,.it.is.important.that.the.events.of.. opportunities,.as.well.as.a.mutual.understanding.of.the. lasting.meaning.and.impact.of.their.courageous.action . 2.February.1959.not.be.treated.solely.as.“past”.but.rather. Stratford.team’s.stylistic.preferences .. PROPOSED INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AT STRATFORD PAGE.4 AND CONCEPT DESIGN SUMMARY 26 February 2018 INTERPRETIVE.CONCEPT.DEVELOPMENT.PROCESS.SUMMARY,.CONT . as.a.central.part.of.the.life.of.the.school.today.and.on. into.the.future ..As.a.partial.means.of.achieving.this.goal,. changeable.displays.of.artworks.on.themes.of. inclusiveness.and.diversity.created.by.students.as.part.of. their.school.curriculum.will.be.mounted.at.intervals.along. primary.hallways,.including.a.major.digital.“media.wall”. across.from.the.school.library . Time and Place . Outside.the.south.facade.of.the.original.1950.building,.at. a.location.where.students.will.gather.while.waiting.to.be. picked.up.after.school,.a.series.of.touchable.models. accompanied.by.exterior.interpretive.graphics.will.trace. the.evolution.of.the.site.and.the.building.over.time,. identifying.character-defining.architectural.features while.exploring.ideas.of.“progressive.architecture.for.a. progressive.community ”. PROPOSED INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL AT STRATFORD PAGE.5 AND CONCEPT DESIGN SUMMARY 26 February 2018 INTERPRETIVE.EXPERIENCE.NARRATIVE Arriving.at.the.south.gateway,.where.the.school’s.new. as.if.following.the.long.ago.footsteps.of.the.four.young. 2.February.1959,.as.remembered.and.interpreted.by. entry.drive.meets.Old.Dominion.Drive,.we.are.greeted. students ..The.stones.play.off.one.another,.creating.a. Michael.Jones,.Gloria.Thompson,.Lance.Newman.and. with.a.universal.symbol.of.welcome:.a.large-scale.stylized. sense.of.tension.and.interaction ..They.are.imprinted.with. Ronald.Deskins;.and.finally,.the.lasting.necessity.and.value. sculptural.“doorway”.with.doors.flung.open.wide .. simple.but.powerful.words.etched.into.their.rough. of.committing.ourselves.to.respecting.the.dignity.and.