Mineral Wells ISD—Lamar Elementary
Architect: VLK Architects, Inc.
The design reflects the district’s belief of next generation learning that allows students from a rural area to learn the soft skills necessary to compete in a global society. On the site, a neighborhood park, complete with a nature trail and playground, has replaced the original school built in 1955. An updated design was realized as a replacement school without interrupting instruction. The library serves as the heart of the campus and provides space for energy, inspiration, and learning.
Community
The neighborhood is connected to the new school through the park that occupies the previous school site and creates a new front door to the campus. A walking trail and playground now invite the neighborhood to share this educational investment. Within the school, small learning communities create a sense of place that students can call their own. The neighborhood is served through shared spaces including gym, cafeteria, and library and is exposed to next generation curriculum and technologies.
Design
Designed as small learning communities, each grade level (PK-1) features a collaboration area where students experience inquiry-based learning opportunities. Daylight harvesting provides the best learning environment in this updated design for active student learning. Outdoor classrooms demonstrate the district’s forward thinking pedagogies. A central boulevard provides observation throughout the building.
Planning
The district’s and community’s shared vision created a school that exhibits next generation learning in a collaborative environment through small learning communities. Planned flexibility within the cafeteria, gym, and library design allows for spaces to be reconfigured and used for a variety of purposes. The location of the building on the site allowed the existing school to remain operational during construction and then was transformed into a neighborhood park.
Sustainability
Natural daylighting provides the best environment for student learning in all classrooms. Large windows not only reduce the need for electricity, but also allow for student observation in the learning process. Visual connections and direct access to the outdoors are also provided in each of the academic wings. Natural daylighting, high efficiency lighting, and HVAC significantly reduced energy usage.
Value
The design of the new school created a neighborhood park where the old school previously stood. The footprint was minimized by designing the gym, cafeteria, and stage to be a flexible area, shared by the community, who also have access to the library. Natural daylighting, high efficiency lighting and HVAC systems significantly reduced energy usage. Designed as a PK-1 campus, it can be adapted to the learning styles of a PK-5 campus as the district grows.
School Transformation
The design reflects the district’s belief of next generation learning that allows students from a rural area to learn the soft skills necessary to compete in a global society. The opportunities that were offered in the original 1955 design are starkly contrasted in the new design that supports today’s learners through small learning communities. Intentional technology and furniture support each learning area. Outdoor classrooms demonstrate the district’s forward thinking pedagogies.
Star of Distinction Category Winner