PROJECT Glenallan Elementary School
LOCATION Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland,
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 8/20/2013
ARCHITECT WMCRP Architects
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT N.A.
OWNER/CLIENT Montgomery County Public Schools
CONTRACTOR Dustin Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER
Ken Wyner
DESIGN TEAM
Michael Poness, AIA, Arthur E. Robinson,Jr.,AIA, Dave Whaples, AIA, Kevin MacPartland, AIA, Jim Giokas
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:
The school property is a triangular-shaped site located at the intersection of Heurich Road and Randolph Road in Silver Spring. The school site is bound on the south by residential dwellings. There are residential dwellings including apartments and single family homes across Randolph Road and Heurich Road. Currently, the school site is accessed from Heurich Road. There is an existing forest area to the east side of the site. The challenges for planning the new school are typical of public school buildings: to provide a bus loop, student drop-off loop, staff parking, service, fields and playgrounds. The final site plan situates the replacement building further back from Randolph Road and toward the existing woodlands on the east side of the site. A three-story classroom wing enjoys views into the natural woodland setting and restored meadow. The building takes advantage of land sloping significantly toward the forest area allowing for the lowest level to be tucked into the slope thus minimizing the height from the main approach. The classroom bar is conceived of as a quiet zone anchored by the media center on the main level. At this point the linear plan angles to respond to the site geometry and to highlight the main entrance. This is the beginning of the active zone defined by the gymnasium, multi-purpose-room/cafeteria, art, and music. The on-site traffic circulation is designed to provide safe access to the school by pedestrians and maximize on-site stacking to minimize the overflow onto nearby streets. Sidewalks connect the residential communities to the school providing safe access for students walking to school. Athletic fields and play areas are to the south and west of the proposed building. The pedestrian path connecting to the residential neighborhood at the southwest will remain. The compact building design and siting strategy resulted in saving 1.6 acres of existing forest at the eastern end of the property. The landscaping, featuring native and drought tolerant species, screens service and parking areas, and provides shade to parking and pedestrian areas. Upon completion of the school, the principal noted, “This is a real game changer for the community”. Where there was a general lack of parent involvement before the new building, there is a tremendous increase now. Teachers note how they and their students enjoy the abundance of natural light coming into the building and the generous views out to the natural forested areas from classrooms, hallways and stairways. The building achieved LEED gold certification. The sustainable design features are celebrated with an information wall and bench built with wood harvested from existing oak trees on the site.
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 Photo by Ken Wyner
IMAGE 2 Photo by Ken Wyner
IMAGE 3 Photo by Ken Wyner
IMAGE 4 Photo by Ken Wyner
IMAGE 5 Photo by Ken Wyner
IMAGE 6 Photo by Ken Wyner
IMAGE 7 Photo by Ken Wyner
Media For Download
Project PDF
Glenallan Elementary School
Category
AIA Potomac Valley > Institutional Architecture (AIA Potomac Valley)
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