Cedar Rapids, IA
A collaborative planning process led by Shive-Hattery was used to define the needs of the new elementary school, the first new school in the district in over 30 years. The planning team included educators, administrators, maintenance staff, custodians and safety experts. The school is designed to meet current instructional methods and technology, yet uses construction methods that afford a high degree of flexibility for future changes. The new elementary school is located on a 12-acre site in this northeast Iowa community. The school will hold 500 students in grades PK-5 and includes 32 classrooms, a media center, a gymnasium and a cafeteria.
The design focused on practical and achievable energy-conservation measures including:
- Compact footprint
- Two-story design
- Daylighting and multi-level lighting in occupied spaces
- Efficiently insulated building envelope
- HVAC systems
- Electrical systems
The brick exterior has patterns of solid and blended brick colors that change as one interacts with the building. From afar, the gymnasium's brick evokes Grant Wood's "rolling hills" landscapes. Up close, the curves evolve into rich and interesting patterns in a more human scale. At night, the glass block windows follow this rolling pattern and illuminate the rolling landscape like stars. The unique effect was achieved with minimal cutting of bricks. The exterior brick colors suggest the fun, child-oriented nature of the building and the striking blue glazed brick entry pillar is an inviting and unique icon.
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tags: elementary school, sustainable design