The story of Goodlettsville Elementary School (GES) began during a time when nothing took place in a normal fashion, time or place—the pandemic. However, the excitement over the creation of a new facility for a school as special as GES pushed through the uncertainties and challenges in an extraordinary way. The design process always takes its own unique path, and this particular path found the design team sketching, collaborating, emailing and presenting early schemes from their living rooms at home. This made the process of composing the design even more remarkable.
The mission of GES with its wide array of student needs was clearly expressed by the principal and her team, and the tapestry of the design concept was woven around the various unique spaces both inside and out. Site limitations, district requirements and design challenges led to thoughtfully integrating ways in which to configure the new building and tie all functions together in a colorful, appropriate manner for an elementary school. The creative design concept brought together a lively exterior with a dynamic entry space to begin telling the story of the special place GES provides for students and families.





