Dr. Melissa Thompson Talks Education Strategy

05.06.202405.06.2024

Insights from the Director of Education Strategy on Budget Constraints, Staffing Shortages, and Technological Advancements in Learning Environments

Director of Education Strategy, Dr. Melissa Thompson, was recently featured in the Education Market Association’s (EdMarket) Essentials publication, to discuss the status of Education.

Educators, Dr. Thompson highlights, are grappling with budget constraints, staffing shortages, and the rapid evolution of technology. Budget constraints and funding issues prevent updates to learning spaces and furniture purchases,

The Value of Shared Learning Spaces

12.20.202312.20.2023

Education is becoming flexible with the traditional walls of the classroom evolving into shareable spaces. The traditional classroom has enclosed walls limiting students and teachers to four permanent walls. Creating large, flexible, shared spaces in education facilities encourages malleability for more than just learning.

ALEP-Certified Planner

05.14.202306.26.2023

A Unique Credential for School Design

ALEP-certified educational planners introduce knowledge beyond traditional architects when creating learning environments. Their understanding of educational planning is nuanced beyond the physical aspects of the school. These professionals recognize the importance of promoting student engagement, creative and critical thinking, and working with other students through the influence of the space and the curriculum. By including educational principles into the design process, they ensure that the physical space becomes an active participant in the learning journey of students.

Video Interview: On Being an Architect

05.13.202311.10.2023

Larry Schneider and Nicholas Kent discuss life as an architect

In May 2021, our Milwaukee Design Office had the pleasure of hosting Dan Wein, a friend and valued collaborator from AlphaDigitalPro, who expressed a genuine interest in the life of an architect and comparing notes about the challenges of building a resilient design firm. Dan, Larry,

PRA IS HONORED WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS AT THE 2023 ASID WISCONSIN DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA

05.10.202308.01.2023

When working on projects, the sweetest reward is providing functional and aesthetic projects for our clients that fulfill their vision and meets their needs. We exist to help improve their lives by improving their facilities, and it is a great honor when our collaborative efforts with our clients are recognized by our peers for an award. This year at the 2023 ASID Wisconsin’s Design Excellence Awards Gala our collaborative teams were recognized for FIVE awards.

Plunkett Raysich Architects Adds Superintendent, Dr. Melissa Thompson, as Director of Education Strategy

05.02.202310.26.2023

Superintendent of Swallow School District Transitions to New Role with PRA

We are excited to announce that Dr. Melissa Thompson is joining PRA starting in July as our Director of Education Strategy! Dr. Thompson was most recently the superintendent of Swallow School District for 12 years, where she helped lead, with the school board and staff, the 2018 referendum efforts to update aging facilities. Throughout her career, she has spoken at numerous professional conventions on a variety of topics;

Project Review: Forest Park Middle School

02.03.202211.10.2023

Where School Design Meets Curriculum

Traditional school design lacks the flexibility needed for today’s curriculum and often limits student exposure to opportunities outside of core subjects. In the past two decades, our perspective on school design has evolved to be more student-centered and promote collaboration and more personalized learning opportunities. School buildings are no longer simple places we send our children to receive direct instruction for nine months of the year. Instead, they are tools used to enhance learning and provide access to discovery.

Rethinking Our Educational Environments

03.18.202108.02.2023

Designing Modern Learning Spaces

In rapidly changing world, educators often face with the task of preparing students for careers in industries that do not yet exist. Globalization and increased mobility add to the need to think differently about how and what our students learn and the physical spaces in which learning occurs. The outdated industrialization model of education no longer serves the needs of today’s learners. There is an increasing demand for personalized and individualized approaches in the educational landscape.

PRA Presents at the 2020 Digital EdSpaces Convention

10.30.202006.11.2023

This year we are excited to have two teams sharing stories at the 2020 Digital EdSpaces Convention. Linda Moses and Steve Kieckhafer are hosting a session about harnessing community engagement to help inform interior design and showcase the cultural diversity within a community. The team of Deborah Kerr, Past Immediate Superintendent of the School District of Brown Deer, and Nicholas Kent will explore how transforming a learning community can take years but ultimately leads to positive educational outcomes.