Columnist Scott Mooneyham calls on the legislature to seriously consider a bill that would require school systems to use stock or prototype school designs. School systems would save money by reducing the architect’s fees that come with designing new buildings.
Although the state maintains a school building design clearinghouse, there is no evidence that school systems use the designs. This is by design, so to speak.
The director of the School Planning Division at DPI, which oversees the clearinghouse, is an architect named Steve Taynton. Mr. Taynton frequently calls North Carolina schools “plain vanilla” for their lack of (I guess) architectural pizazz. Thus, he has no interest in seeing school systems replicate the “plain vanilla” schools featured in the clearinghouse.
Mooneyham does not acknowledge Taynton’s role in the debate. Taynton’s influence, along with the AIA’s deep pockets, will keep the prototype school design legislation at bay.
