Eudora Elementary School
Eudora, KS
This 1,000-student elementary school is designed around a small learning community (SLC) concept to reduce the scale for K-5 students. The design inspiration is Dr. Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go. The aim is to incorporate the world into the building design while introducing students to worldly environments. Ecosystems are the overarching theme of the school. A unique biome gives identity to each of the five SLCs, including Arctic, Aquatic, Desert, Rain Forest and Savanna, and incorporates learning within students’ daily environment.
Benches at each SLC entrance allow places for students to interact. Large, open discovery areas in each SLC are surrounded by classrooms. The discovery areas have a raised platform in the center to encourage interactive and playful learning. A wet zone with sinks and hard surfaces in the discovery area encourages students from multiple classrooms to work on shared projects.
Awards: 2010 Gold Award, Education/Research Project from the Mid-America Design Award, 2011 John Shaw Award from the CEFPI Midwest/Great Lakes Region.
Panther Lake Elementary School
Panther Lake Elementary School opens young minds to learning by immersing them in an environment that celebrates the dualities of daily educational experience: work/play, focus/exploration, school/neighborhood.
DLR Group’s design for this first of four new schools strengthens the suburban community by creating a connection with surrounding schools and parks; by providing healthy, sustainable learning spaces that can adapt to meet changing needs over time; and by expressing a bold new vision of the district as a community hub.
Panther Lake is school as connector between district and community, adult and child, people and nature, present and future, reality and aspiration. This project encompasses the design of a 45,000 SF replacement elementary school on a 10.2 acre site serving 450 students in grades K-5. The unique scope of work included the development of a unique, flexible program and adaptable plan; sustainable design meeting WSSP requirements; and archetypal design strategies for this and three subsequent schools.
DLR Group provided architecture, interiors, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering services, and structural engineering during early concept development.
The school’s design has recieved much recognition and won many awards, including: 2009 AIA Seattle “What Makes it Green” Recognition (Honorable Mention), Silver Award-Collaboration by Schooldesigner.com, 2010 IIDA Northern Pacific Design IN Public Award, 2011 Merit Award by the AIA Washington Council, 2011 Schooldesigner.com Best Design Overall Silver Award.
