The Joint Venture team of Ricciuti Balog Harris (RBH) delivered another successful Pre-K to 5th-grade elementary school for the district. This 17-acre site, located in a unique, urban, single-family residential setting, supported an existing elementary school with large playfields. As a result, the program yielded a design theme unlike any other in the district.

Design Phasing
The design team planned the new building so that the existing school would remain operational during construction. A special planning process successfully separated the construction crews from the children during the 18-month build-out. An early site package was also successfully delivered allowing crews to work ahead of the winter months.

One of a Kind Learning Laboratory
As a STEM School feeder elementary, the building was designed to take advantage of the wildlife and nature so prevalent on the site. By creating an “outdoor classroom” via an exterior central courtyard, the protected exterior environment became a laboratory-for-nature with 50% of the classrooms having direct access and exposure to nature and a variety of birds throughout the year.