Why make a school building circular? For the Charter Oak elementary school (named after Connecticut’s official state tree), the answer can be explained by its philosophy. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, its curriculum is closely aligned with the United Nations’ mission of fostering world peace. Established in 1968 in Geneva, the IB program—offered at close to 1,700 primary and secondary schools, both public and private, in the United States alone—teaches students to make connections between conventional coursework and international issues. Face-to-face interactions are an integral part of study; just as diplomats often convene in a ring-shaped formation at the U.N. building, students gather regularly for discussions in the round. So when architects from Perkins Eastman presented possible configurations for the new facility to Charter Oak faculty and parents, the symbolism of a circular plan clicked.