Tag Archive for: Indianapolis

50 Letters From Architects: Our Contribution

This is part of a series of blog postings of Schmidt Associates architects’ responses to the American Institute of Architects (AIA)-Indianapolis invitation to write letters to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. Architects submitted big or small ideas to improve the urban built environment for Indianapolis and were on display at The Hall during June and July […]

Elevate the Expectations

The following editorial was featured in the October 17, 2014, issue of the Indianapolis Business Journal. Each month, a post will be made further describing each of my 10 ideas for elevating the expectations for downtown. Check back for more information and share your thoughts with me. Elevate the Expectations By Wayne Schmidt It’s easy […]

How to Pick a Site

The design of a school campus is crucial to the safety and efficiency of any program. When given the opportunity to choose between different locations, here are some thoughts on what elements create a successful K-12 exterior environment. Space to establish clear visibility and organization –When on a school campus, clear site lines help create […]

Sustainability: Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences at Marian University

This landmark facility has been in operation for a while now. It is Indiana’s first new medical school in the last 110 years and it is the nation’s first osteopathic medical school at a Catholic university. The facility was honored at the 2014 Indianapolis Monumental Awards for Merit in Architecture. In March of 2015, the […]

Putting the “Active” in Learning

Many studies have been done that explore the benefits of movement and activity in learning environments. In higher education classrooms, “active learning” is becoming more and more the norm. As students morph into new learning experiences in the collegiate setting, they are greatly impacted by educational approaches and their architectural surroundings, eliciting positive psychological responses. […]

50 Letters From Architects: Our Contribution

This is part of a series of blog postings of Schmidt Associates architects’ responses to the American Institute of Architects (AIA)-Indianapolis invitation to write letters to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. Architects submitted big or small ideas to improve the urban built environment for Indianapolis and were on display at The Hall during June and July […]

The Importance of Art in Buildings

Good building design should consider how its interior environment not only functions well for its users and visitors, but also how it inspires and appeals emotionally. Art is a vibrant component of many inspiring building interiors—and sometimes exteriors as well. Art humanizes any environment, making it more relevant to us as a society. In our […]

Higher Education Alphabet Soup

In mid-September, Schmidt Associates posted an online quiz called “Higher Education Archibabble – Knowledgeable or Naïve.” As part of the quiz, there were several acronyms (a.k.a. alphabet soup) which described higher education trends, teaching methodologies, etc. Since then, we’ve been asked to elaborate on the acronyms, as well as to share how these concepts are […]

How to "Right Size" Your School

Has your school or district experienced influxes or decreases in student population due to shifting enrollment patterns or unanticipated variables that impacted your demographic projections? Having too few (or too many) students in a building affects space utilization, staffing, and operating costs. Typically, the capacity of a school is determined by the number of classrooms […]

Leadership Moment from November

Give someone a fish—feed them for a day; teach someone to fish—feed them for a lifetime. The adage makes a whole point with half a picture. Do you want a potato and slaw with that fish? Are you going to wear fish? …sleep on them? …use them to get around town? Clearly, man needs more […]