PROJECT Beaver Run Elementary School

ARCHITECT Hord Coplan Macht:Jeff Hagan, Sarah Rineer, Chris Peterson, Esther Kaplan, Andrew Beres, Soo Lee
GENERAL CONTRACTOR The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Davis, Bowen, & Friedel, Inc
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Morabito Consultants
CIVIL ENGINEER Davis, Bowen, & Friedel, Inc
MECHANICAL ENGINEER Alban Engineering
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER Alban Engineering
PHOTOGRAPHER/RENDERER Kate Wichlinski, Patrick Ross
 

LOCATION  Salisbury, Maryland, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  8/18/2022

Beaver Run Elementary School is located in Salisbury, MD and is a replacement school for an existing building constructed in 1957. The existing school, comprised of 7 separate buildings connected by covered breezeways, was centered on the 16+ acre building site. This presented a challenge of where to locate the new school building. With limited building location options, the new school was constructed on the back of the site, behind the existing building, which allowed the existing school to remain operational during construction.

The community of Beaver Run was vocal in their desire that the new school building should fit in with the context of the surrounding area. On over 377 acres, the school’s neighboring property is WinterPlace Park & Equestrian Center, which is Wicomico County’s largest recreational area. The equestrian aesthetic of the community buildings in the park greatly impacted the design of the new Beaver Run Elementary School.

The new Beaver Run Elementary School accommodates 650 students under one roof. Careful attention was paid in planning a secure, flexible school that fosters a sense of community and has a strong presence on the site. The media center punctuates the front entrance area, which is protected with a broad canopy.

The educational program provides 30 classrooms serving grades Pre-K-3 through second grade. Additional core learning spaces include a dedicated Art Room, Music Room, Cafeteria, Gym with Platform, Media Center, and support spaces to accommodate Title One and special programs. A dedicated separate entrance also serves a school-based community health and wellness center.

The interior layout allows for separation of classrooms from shared spaces accessible to the public. A Pre-K and Kindergarten classroom cluster surrounds one courtyard and a Grades 1 and 2 classroom cluster surrounds another courtyard.

Both educational courtyards offer opportunities for a variety of outdoor learning activities. Features include colorful, cushioned play surfacing, a stage platform, picnic tables, chalkboards, shade structures, and a seating area that is accessed by the faculty lounge.

The two classroom clusters are linked together by special education, resource and intervention rooms. A main corridor extends the length of the building in the east-west direction with classrooms to the south and shared spaces to the north. Administration and community-use spaces (the media center, cafeteria and gymnasium), located north of the main corridor, are able to be locked-off from the classroom clusters for after-hours community use.

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