At Van Ness Elementary School the learning happens outside as well as inside.
Every square foot of this tight urban site was planned to provide inspirational places for learning. The vision for this LEED-S Gold school incorporates a new wing, rehabilitation of a historic field house, and a repurposed health care building. The master plan maintains the central oval green space – with planted stormwater rain gardens and places to play. Interior spaces are daylit and finished with healthy materials. One feature is the rooftop garden and classroom reached by a stair and canopy wrapped in copper-colored perforated metal.
A new addition to this mid-century modern school is clad in metal and perforated to provide screening for an exterior stair to the roof. Exterior stairs like this promote activity and help connect students with the outdoors. An ADA accessible route via the elevator is paired with raised garden beds to provide equitable access for all.
The Rooftop Garden has ADA-accessible raised garden beds and a compost bin - an opportunity for students to learn where our food comes from. An Outdoor Classroom has a tool shed wrapped in white marker board to provide a teaching wall. A Canopy with copper rain chains and a rainwater storage bin is a built in demonstration of the cycle of water.
