108 eighth-grade students design their school's library in Berkeley

2014-02-28T20:25:00-05:00

What good is a school without a library? A team of 108 eighth-grade students at REALM Charter School in Berkeley, CA let their curiosity take the lead in designing their school's own reading space, which they call X-SPACE.

X-Space started out as a school project in Studio H, an in-school curriculum led by director Emily Pilloton and 8th-grade teacher Hallie Chen that lets students in grades 8-11 design and build in socially-engaged projects.

The idea and name of X-Space came from the students' desire for a place to study, to relax, to learn and discover "X" — the unknown. In short, they wanted a welcoming library space for fellow students at the growing charter school.

Another product of the project is the X-shaped "STAX" shelving system the students helped construct. The stackable shelves were designed from low-tech 13-ply finished plywood and made using high-tech CNC technology with the help of Autodesk CEO Carl Bass.

Studio H launched a Kickstarter on Feb. 25 and has already raised o...

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108 eighth-grade students design their school's library in Berkeley