Rae's design plan was to have the buildings start out a bit shorter, with the classrooms making up the first ring around the tower, as the grounds closest to it were outdoor training areas already.
There was no reason to change what was working, and having the shortest buildings in the middle allowed her to create the visual impression that the tower was an object caught in the web, weighting it down.
Her first decision was what colour the new buildings should be. The old ones were boring, made of mostly bricks.
That design didn't blend in with anything, and it didn't really work with the vibe she was going for.
"Powerful enough to protect hatchlings" was what Rae wanted the Academy to convey.
Making everything out of easy to climb and easy to destroy brick wasn't exactly a statement of power.
