Innovation Starts with Imagination: Derby Academy’s New Center for Innovation
At Derby Academy, imagination isn’t just encouraged—it’s the foundation of learning. The school’s core values inspire students to cultivate intellectual curiosity, develop essential skills, and contribute to their community. That spirit now has a dedicated home: the Healey Family Center for Innovation.
OLSON LEWIS + Architects is proud to have partnered with Derby Academy to design a space where creativity, exploration, and discovery come to life.
A Hub for Exploration: The Healey Family Center for Innovation
Located at the heart of the campus, the new Innovation Center provides students across all grade levels with access to state-of-the-art resources for:
- Creative production
- Critical thinking exercises
- Hands-on experimentation
From designing solutions to real-world problems to embracing the value of failure as a learning tool, the Center fosters an environment where collaboration and imagination drive innovation.
As Derby Academy describes, the Center supports “collaborative thinking, design, and creation for an interconnected world”—a mission perfectly aligned with OL+’s philosophy of designing spaces that empower people to learn and grow.
Student Hard Hat Tours: Bringing Learning to Life
Even before the Innovation Center was complete, Derby students were part of the journey. Through virtual tours and hard hat walkthroughs guided by the architect and builder, students explored the process of bringing a building to life—from concept to construction.
In one memorable moment, OL+ architect Chris Doktor led a group of first graders through the fundamentals of designing a building, offering a hands-on lesson in creativity, problem-solving, and architectural thinking.
Chris Doktor is seen here talking to first graders about the fundamentals of deigning a building
Creating Spaces for Future Innovators
At OLSON LEWIS + Architects, we know that Beautiful Places aren’t just about aesthetics—they’re about purpose. The Healey Family Center for Innovation reflects Derby Academy’s forward-thinking mission and provides a space where students learn not only how to solve problems—but how to imagine entirely new possibilities.
