Abstract
In many small towns, there are little to no places for gathering and community to exist except for an often community central location of their school, even though the schools become a community hub they are not immune to the effects of the outside world, and with a population decline trend, they face the threat of becoming closed from low enrollment and inefficient use. There could, however, potentially be a different solution other than consolidation, partial adaptive reuse. By analyzing input from those who would be affected by the school closure, analyzing previous closure and their effect on the smaller town, as well as the potential cost and sustainable implications, the findings could conclude if partial consolidation and adding community use onto the school could allow the schools to maintain their historical significance as the center of the community.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Rural schools--Remodeling for other use; Community centers--Design and construction; Sustainable architecture
Publication Date
5-1-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Student Type
Graduate
Degree Name
Architecture (M.Arch.)
Department, Program, or Center
Architecture, Department of
College
Golisano Institute for Sustainability
Advisor
Julius J. Chiavaroli
Advisor/Committee Member
Seth H. Holmes
Recommended Citation
Limbert, Christine, "Transforming Rural Schools: Adaptive Reuse for Sustained Community and Sustainability" (2025). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/12135
Campus
RIT – Main Campus
Plan Codes
ARCH-MARCH