YCH’s latest elementary school, an on-site replacement for a 70-year-old facility, is a testament to our commitment to innovation. It’s not just a building but a high-performance learning environment. Nestled on a heavily wooded, sloping site behind the existing building, it maximizes the property owned by the school district. The compact, two-story design minimizes the footprint and preserves the area’s natural beauty.
The community served by this school is rich in history. New families have renovated many surrounding historic homes, and the sense of community is extensive. YCH designed the exterior to celebrate the surrounding area’s culture, with differing building heights, sloped roofs, and prefinished metal panels to emulate wood siding.
Although designed for 750 students, the floorplan divides the population into smaller classroom wings. These wings provide students a more intimate grade-level experience while allowing them to feel connected to a larger community in shared spaces. The interior architecture reinforces this through the use of colors for the learning spaces within each wing. All of the grade-level colors are combined in the common areas to promote this sense of community. The school is brought to life with extensive color and graphics, creating an environment that inspires learning and creativity.
