Two Rivers Elementary School

Odenton, MD

Details: Prototype school design; Media center, maker space, labs, classrooms; Gymnasium, cafetorium, community space; LEED Silver certified

Owner: Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Services: Sustainable Design, Interior Design, Full Design Services, Construction Administration, Building Information Modeling

Inside, flexibility is paramount. The media center supports two instructional zones with flexible furniture and moveable stacks and features direct access to the courtyard. Learning studios within the classroom zones allow students to engage in project-based learning while classroom spaces are designed to be adaptable to future curriculum changes. At the terminus of the grand stair, a pinup space serves as a blank canvas to display student works.

The program includes general, early childhood, art, music, and special education classrooms; computer lab; makerspace; gymnasium; cafetorium; media center; administrative offices; student support suite; and community spaces.

The LEED Silver school’s sustainable features include natural daylighting with intelligent lighting controls, LED lighting, zoning of the building to correspond with occupancy and use profiles, and low-flow fixtures. The roof forms over the gymnasium and cafetorium slope up to the north to maximize natural daylight in these spaces, while minimizing solar heat gain and glare from southern exposure. Additional concepts such as a well-insulated envelope and the use of durable materials with recycled content were also incorporated.