Site Selection - Part 2

The Part 2 discussion is on the size and shape of the site and why it is important to the design and overall functionality of the school.

Often times land developers will approach school districts with a plot of land they have allocated for a school within their development. Although they may have good intentions (usually it is to make their development more attractive to potential buyers), they don't always give you the more desirable locations or shapes of property.  A site that is irregular in shape or out of proportion in one or two dimensions can be much more difficult to build on. The irregularity will create unusable areas, sharp corners (such as a parallelogram) or narrow access ways that are simply dead spaces with no functional possibilities. 

The most desirable shape for a plot of land is rectangular with the long side to short side ratio of 4:3. For example the long side of the tract is 400' long and the shorter side at 300'. I realize that this ratio is not possible for the majority of sites that would be available, but if you asked what would be the ideal, that would be my answer. Certainly buildings can be sited on square tracts or irregular shapes, but in general a rectangular shape gives the designer the best options for placing all the necessary elements of drives, parking, play grounds, athletic fields etc. on the site. . It is preferred to have contiguous sites with rectilinear shapes that are not too narrow and have gentle slopes. Sites with steep slopes can be used however; additional funds will be required for retaining walls and fencing.

When considering potential school site sizes and student capacity, there are several factors that should be given consideration. Each site size should be based on “ usable acres”. Usable acres can be defined as the amount of land remaining after utility/drainage easements, flood plains, power lines, and storm water detention requirements have been accounted for.

Additional consideration needs to be given to what grade levels will be located on the property. Elementary schools will require play areas. In some cases School Districts and Cities joint venture to place parks next to elementary schools to capitalize on the use of the land. High school sites can vary depending on the amount of parking and athletic venues required. The high school site below uses the following parameters: parking for 40% of the student population driving; competition football, baseball, softball fields; tennis courts, and a practice football field.  Also, vehicular access should be studied for high school sites. Additional access points are needed to accommodate larger driving populations. 

The following is a chart to outline basic site sizes for types of schools and various capacities. 

School Type	Student Capacity	Recommended Site Size
Elementary School	600-800 Students	10-15 acres
Middle School	1000 Students	30 acres
High Schools	750 to 2000 Students	60 acres
	2000 to 3500 Students	70 acres

As always, this is a guideline. The school district should employ the services of a qualified design professional to assist in evaluating the potential sites prior to purchase to ensure the best value for the district.

Michael D. King AIA