10/23/2026
Student: Robert Taylor, 5th Year Architecture with a Minor in Construction Management
Instructor: Professor Amin Espandiari
In collaboration with DLR Architecture Group, the Paul Ecke Central Elementary School is designed as a vibrant learning campus that connects nature, community, and education through a series of indoor-outdoor learning environments. The project re imagines the elementary school as a “learning village,” where classrooms, courtyards, library spaces, food service, administration, and multi-purpose areas are organized around clear pedestrian circulation and active outdoor gathering zones. The design responds to the coastal Encinitas context by prioritizing daylight, natural ventilation, shaded walkways, and landscape integration. Colorful canopies, open courtyards, native planting, and flexible classroom edges create a campus that feels playful, welcoming, and environmentally connected. The architecture supports student curiosity by extending learning beyond the classroom into gardens, outdoor seating areas, play spaces, and shared community zones. Through its use of layered circulation, transparent learning spaces, and climate-responsive strategies, the school creates a safe, engaging, and adaptable environment for students, teachers, families, and the surrounding community.
