These client concerns and goals presented the design team with the opportunity to collaborate intensely with school district and community representatives, and to invite them to tour various spaces to introduce them to different design concepts and experiences. The guided tours highlighted the benefits of flexibility, transparency, natural lighting, daylight harvesting, and connectivity to the outdoors, that were key considerations for the elementary school. Incorporating them into a floor plan, the design team used physical models and three-dimensional animations, which allowed the client to see the facility and experience the benefits of its design before it was built.

High-value durable materials used in the facility included brick, masonry, plaster, metal roofing, ceramic tile, and VCT flooring. Among the functional features are clerestories, window shading and high-efficiency plumbing and tanks. Cost-reducing motion sensors control daylight harvesting while transparency encourages students to think beyond the walls and creates connectivity to students elsewhere in the building.

• a moveable wall that divides the cafeteria and gym, creating a multi-purposed space shared with the community
• a roll-down door that divides academic space from public space for secure after-hours use
• tutoring spaces open to the community and small conference rooms located off the library for additional tutoring
• science lab and art rooms that access outdoor learning areas
• an electronic message board placed in an entryway actively communicates with and further connects the community to this multi-purpose facility