In 2021, Goochland, Virginia identified the need for a new elementary school to support its growing community. Visioning sessions were held with community stakeholders to understand what next generation learning meant to a district that hadn’t built a school in over 30 years. Through this process, a collective vision for the school was formed – Goochland Elementary School (GES) would be flexible and adaptable, collaborative and engaging, student-centered and age-appropriate, and connected to the site and nature.
The design of GES is an homage to the James River, a resource for revenue and recreation in the community. Classrooms on either side of a wide, daylit central spine form banks of the river while intermittent boxes housing special programs mimic islands. Large group gathering areas take shape in the leeward wake of the islands while small group project areas are formed in the eddies immediately adjacent to them. Additional instructional spaces are provided in treehouses overlooking the scene and follies (peek-a-boo windows, geometric cut-outs, and the like) at the scale of young students are sprinkled throughout. Completing the parti is the cafeteria delta where the public gathers for community events. Transparency throughout promotes security and fosters a sense of community.
