How School Architecture Shapes Student Futures with Jesse Miller

What if the buildings we design for students could shape not just how they learn, but who they become?

In this episode, Jeff Kubiak and Carla Cummins sit down with Jesse Miller, Managing Senior Principal at PBK Architects, to explore how K-12 architecture can transform education from the ground up. From designing Compton High School alongside Dr. Dre to creating spaces where students don't want to leave, Jesse reveals how thoughtful design decisions today can impact generations of learners for the next century.

Drawing from over two decades designing schools across California, Nevada, and Texas, Jesse shares how truly radically student-centered environments are built through vision, community input, and asking one essential question: will this make a student's daily experience better?

Takeaways:

• Design for a hundred years, not today: Schools must outlast current pedagogy—ask what education looks like 70 years from now, not just what works in 2026
• Every square foot matters: From corridor nooks to bathroom design, if a student will experience it, it deserves intentional thought
• Put learning on display: Create environments where students can "shop their future" by seeing what peers are creating and achieving across campus
• Include every voice: Teacher workshops reveal current needs, but student workshops unlock what's truly possible—get both perspectives before a single line is drawn
• Flip the script on control: Traditional schools were optimized for managing students; radically student-centered schools support how they learn, move, collaborate, and belong
• Measure success by who stays: When kids don't want to leave campus at 9 PM, you've designed something right
• When learners thrive, communities flourish: This is the heart of radically student-centered design

About Jesse Miller:

With over twenty two plus years of expertise in architectural design and sustainable solutions, I currently serve as Managing Senior Principal at PBK overseeing the West Region, where I contribute to innovative and sustainable civic and education projects. I currently lead over 260 design and engineering professionals committed to elevating our clients places and spaces into environments beyond imagination.  My previous leadership role as Regional Sector Leader for DLR Group allowed me to drive impactful design strategies in the California K-12 sector, leveraging my skills in design research and sustainable architecture.

Certified as an architect by the California Architects Board and holding credentials as a LEED Green Associate and DBIA professional, I am dedicated to fostering collaborative environments that prioritize sustainability and innovation in educational spaces. My mission is to create designs that inspire learning and positively impact communities.

 

Learn More About Kay-Twelve:

Website: https://kay-twelve.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kay-twelve-com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kay_twelve/

Episode 306 of the Better Learning Podcast

For more information on our partners:

Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) - https://www.a4le.org/

Education Leaders' Organization - https://www.ed-leaders.org/

Second Class Foundation - https://secondclassfoundation.org/

EDmarket - https://www.edmarket.org/

Catapult @ Penn GSE - https://catapult.gse.upenn.edu/

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