Dramatic growth in Calvert County, Maryland has presented the need for several new educational facilities, including the 75,000-SF Barstow Elementary School.
The design capitalizes on the steeply-graded site’s topography, creating an amphitheater adjacent to the play areas for outdoor learning. Inside, a double-height lobby and circulation core promotes intuitive wayfinding and multi-use spaces increase efficiency. To provide the most economic utilization of space, double-use spaces were created, including an instrumental music room located on the stage of the cafetorium – an operable, soundproof partition separates the spaces. Energy conservation techniques were also critical to the design and include geothermal heating and cooling.
Details
- 30 classrooms for grades Pre-K through 5th
- Art and music rooms, computer lab and media center
- 4,000-SF gymnasium and 4,000-SF “cafetorium”
- Geothermal heating and cooling for energy conservation