Yesterday morning, students, educators, community leaders, and guests gathered in Perry Hall to celebrate the ribbon cutting of BCPS’ newest school—Honeygo Elementary School.
Designed to ease overcrowding in the northeast area of Baltimore County, the new 95,555-SF, state-of-the-art facility can seat up to 725 students. The school is made up of a two-story classroom wing and a one-story cafeteria/gymnasium wing that are connected by the core of the building which houses the main entry, lobby, and media center. Located on a sloped site in a clearing surrounded by existing forested areas, the school was designed to adapt to the site by lowering the classroom wing so that the building's core could sit into the side of the existing hill.
Serving grades Pre-K through 5, the school follows the principles of 21st Century Learning, where collaboration and extension of the learning environment out of the traditional classroom are a key focus. The classroom wing is organized around a large collaborative learning commons on each floor, and pairs of classrooms share a smaller break out space. Expanses of glass and ample outdoor space continually bridge indoors and out, including a grand stair that extends outdoors and serves as additional classroom and learning space. A light-filled media center with connecting outdoor reading garden, along with a second floor rooftop classroom, offer differing mediums for learning and gathering.
Seeking LEED Silver certification, the project's sustainable elements include geothermal heating and cooling, green roof, recycled building materials with long life cycles, LED light fixtures, and water-efficient fixtures.
