How School Architecture Can Drive Equity and Connection with Patricia Culley

What if the spaces we design for learning could speak to every student who walks through the door?

In this episode, Mark Barga sits down with Patricia Culley, Principal at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, to explore what happens when an architect brings nearly two decades of diverse design experience to the challenge of reimagining K–12 learning environments. From her circuitous path through higher education and cultural institutions to championing outdoor classrooms and biophilic design, Patricia shares how great school architecture isn't about imposing a vision—it's about listening, iterating, and creating spaces flexible enough to become whatever students and teachers need them to be.

Takeaways:

• The design process is iterative, not prescriptive: Great architects don't arrive with the answer on day one—they guide clients through many rounds of exploration, often turning initial assumptions on their head before arriving at something that truly reflects the community's values
• Stakeholder diversity is your greatest design asset: Surveys, workshops, and hands-on engagement tools serve different audiences differently—the key is building a process that captures meaningful input from faculty, administrators, students, and the broader community, not just the loudest voices in the room
• K–12 owners often don't know how to use space as a tool—yet: Unlike higher ed clients who come in with clear needs, K–12 educators sometimes need help seeing how the built environment can actively support pedagogy; the architect's job is to create a shell flexible enough that teachers can make it their own once they're in it
• Nature is the great equalizer: Outdoor learning environments aren't an amenity—they level the playing field across abilities, backgrounds, and learning styles, and biophilic design principles belong in every school conversation from day one
• Variety sparks innovation—even for the firm itself: BCJ's intentional choice to stay a generalist practice means lessons from residential intimacy, healthcare, and cultural institutions all cross-pollinate into how they think about school design—because at the core, every typology is about how humans interact with the built environment
• Flexibility is the ultimate future-proofing strategy: For projects that span fifteen-plus years from visioning to ribbon-cutting, opinions will change, leadership will turn over, and priorities will shift—building adaptability into both the physical design and the process itself is the only way to stay aligned with the community's evolving needs

About Patricia Culley:

Patricia Culley is a principal with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, an award-winning national architecture firm that excels in celebrating the spirit of place. Her approach to architecture centers on the balance between thoughtful, community-driven design and environmental consciousness. Patricia is a sustainability leader within BCJ and an active voice within the industry.

Learn More About Kay-Twelve:

Website: https://kay-twelve.com/

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

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Episode 311 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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