A successful master plan uses engagement techniques and data analysis to encourage community support and participation – we have a responsibility to see that public opinion informs the planning of these buildings, ensuring that they have a positive impact for decades to come. Our engagement process begins at public meetings where we invite conversation about neighborhood and community issues, and tie them to central design considerations for delivering quality education.
K-12 District Master Planning
K-12 Master Plans are living documents that provide a vision of what a district might look like in the future and a roadmap of how to get there. As portions of the plan are completed, the document is updated and evolves. We approach each master plan by helping our client envision the future while acknowledging that even the most well-developed plans will need to adjust and adapt over time. Community-specific infrastructure and varying budgets means that no two districts are alike and all balance different priorities.
From the outset, we need to consider changing demographics, distinct school conditions, and advancing technology and evolving pedagogy.
Over the past decade, SMMA’s Educational Planning Group has conducted over 40 master plans and feasibility studies, and programmed, designed, and implemented nearly $1.8 billion in Massachusetts and Rhode Island school construction. While all are different, each of these master plans provide an opportunity to reconsider how schools can impact and inspire children’s education, and create and define community identity.