Architect Magazine: Making Montessori Education More Accessible For All

A social shift is taking place in east Austin, Texas, which has historically been overlooked and underserved. Architect Magazine has taken notice of a recent change that will influence schoolchildren's futures. Magnolia Montessori For All, the city’s first charter Montessori school, opened the first Montessori campus in east Austin. And Page helped them design a purpose-built campus within their limited budget.

Architect Magazine editor Katie Gerfen examines how Page resolved topographical challenges in the site, which changes 30 feet in elevation from one edge of the 9-acre property to the other. One resolution is two activity-filled play areas tucked within the classroom clusters that take advantage of the natural character and slope of the site.

The reductive architectural palette answers budget needs and its “honesty of materials” fits with the Montessori idealogy. However, the design was still nuanced to optimize classrooms for varying grade levels. For example, the ceiling height was brought down by one foot in younger children’s classrooms to make the spaces cozier. As the children get older their dedicated outdoor spaces become more open and allow a greater degree of flexibility, freedom, and independence.

Construction on the campus began in 2014 but its success has already prompted Montessori For All to open a school in San Antonio based on the example set at Magnolia.

To read the article in Architect Magazine in full, click here.

To learn more about Page’s PK-12 subspecialty, click here.

To view representative work in Page’s Academic market sector portfolio, click here.