New construction is needed on some campuses for two reasons: replacing portables and expanding capacity. It is a fantastic opportunity to create Small Learning Communities that incorporate technology as an essential tool for research, analysis, and communication in the digital age; support professional development; empower industry partners working alongside students; and augment spaces for community use and events.

With the new Small Learning Communities, the emphasis of school design shifts away from the traditional classroom experience, which inhibits student-driven learning, to a highly dynamic and interactive one that empowers students to become expert learners. The SLCs incorporate flexible spaces allowing for interdisciplinary, differentiated, project-based, and inquiry-driven learning. Flexible spaces support adaptation as teaching practices evolve.

The DNA of a Small Learning Community is a core group of space types that accommodate numerous configurations. Supporting multiple learning styles simultaneously requires careful consideration to adjacencies and connectedness between space types. The adjacency diagram shows relationships between learning spaces, it is not a floor plan.