Valley Region Elementary School has been sited on a small infill parcel of only 4.3 acres to house 950 students. Taking that into consideration, the architect's main concern was to create a space-efficient design that was also a fun and stimulating environment without the feeling of an "institution." With the space constraints of the site in mind, the design team utilized a "double-loaded" corridor design, but broke up the spaces into small sections separated by multiple open courtyards. These courtyards will also function as outdoor learning environments that offer flexible outdoor teaching and learning. The learning courtyards open up to the center of campus and the playfields, maximizing the sense of open space, while being designed to be easily supervised at the same time.
Building green was one of the primary goals of this project, therefore, the project will be CHPS certified, taking advantage of the Savings by Design program. The classrooms have been designed to bring both an abundance of natural light and ventilation into the classrooms. Natural daylight not only improves educational performance, but it also provides energy efficiency for sustainability. Materials were chosen to be both durable and sustainable while being sensitive to the project budget.
Awards: 2006 CASH/AIACC Leroy F. Greene Design Award of Merit
Website: www.lausd.net
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