Edgerton Trails Elementary School is an innovative addition to Rockford Public Schools and is their first new school in nearly 25 years. This state-of-the-art PK-5 facility was made possible through the community’s support of a $174 million bond issue passed in 2019. Designed to accommodate the growing population on the west side of Rockford, Edgerton Trails alleviates overcrowding in neighboring schools. The school is a testament to the district’s mission to provide safe learning environments that give students the academic and social skills needed to be successful, lifelong learners in a global society.

The school’s colorful interior is inspired by Rockford’s elementary science curriculum, with each grade level housed in distinct “neighborhoods” that reflect local habitats. The neighborhoods — The Pond (DK), The Woodlands (K-1), The Lakes (2-3), and The Dunes (4-5) — provide age-appropriate and fun environments that connect back to what they are learning. Students can feel emotionally and physically safe as the layout ensures they interact primarily with their peers in spaces designed specifically for their developmental stage. The integration of natural themes also extends to the building’s outdoor learning spaces, which includes a small classroom amphitheater and access to the district’s nature center. Two playgrounds on site also cater to the needs of lower and upper elementary age students.

Lake Orion Community Schools’ new Blanche Sims Elementary School replaces the oldest elementary building in the district with a new, modern facility serving students in DK through 5th grade. The 68,875 SF school consists of 19 classrooms, a secure entry and office spaces, extended learning spaces throughout the building, a new kitchen with servery, cafeteria with stage, gymnasium, STEM center and media center. 

The building was designed into grade-level pods with classrooms, interior extended learning areas and covered outdoor learning spaces. The classrooms will be larger than in the previous facility and were designed to fit more flexible and collaborative 21st century learning styles. An emphasis on integrating indoor and outdoor spaces together will now allow students to easily engage with outdoor learning. Outdoor access points are included in each pod and classrooms offer unobstructed outdoor views with as much natural light as possible inside the building. Elementary specials, resource rooms and bathrooms are located off the main central spine of the building, with good proximity to new playgrounds. 

Ludington Area School District was looking to consolidate their three elementary schools into one new, centralized facility due to aging buildings that would have required significant renovations. 

As part of the planning process, our team collaborated with the district and the community through an extensive two-day Design Workshop to develop initial concepts and establish Guiding Principles for the project. School staff, board members, and community members conducted visioning exercises around the student experience they wanted to create in this new facility. The workshops also created cohesion among the teams and staff of the three buildings who were coming together into one, generating empathy among all participants for each other’s perspectives and vision for the community. Many of the teachers and staff from the different schools had never met, and the workshop helped to build camaraderie and collaboration among staff for creating spaces and curriculum together–genuinely putting learning and the student experience at the heart of the project. As education continues to evolve, it was important for the design to be efficient and adaptable and provide a flexible place to inspire growth and stimulate education for the present and the future.

21st Century Learning

The existing buildings were over 50 years old, and not only did Ludington aim to bring the district into the 21st century, they took a forward-looking approach to push the envelope in facilities and classroom design for future teaching and learning models. The approach was to create more than a school building, but a learning ecosystem within the community.

Recognizing that learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom, but also in other spaces like media centers, outdoor areas, and hallways, Ludington recognized that the current school environments were limiting the opportunities for staff to be innovative as it relates to teaching and learning. The team designed the new elementary school spaces to be flexible and transitionally appropriate for each age group, as well as accommodating for learning in every space.

Thornapple Kellogg Schools expanded their educational offerings to accommodate a growing number of students with a new Early Childhood Center that houses the district’s preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, the Great Start Readiness Preschool, Early Childhood Special Education, and child care.

Part of the district’s $42.8 million bond to enhance the district’s educational facilities and create space for a growing community, the building and landscape are designed to accommodate early learners with spaces for both indoor and outdoor play and learning. Creating a sense of community pride, a T-shaped building puts the front of the school at the head, with a welcome area, staff offices and lounge, and a large multipurpose room and gymnasium that can be used for community events and gatherings.

The Early Childhood Center at Lake Orion Community Schools was designed to provide a safe and welcoming environment to the district’s earliest learners. The Early Childhood Center was previously housed in a small corner of Lake Orion’s old high school, and a new dedicated building for early childhood education will make learning opportunities and preparation accessible for all children in the community. 

The new building promotes a sense of pride and ownership, fostering community and a culture of equality of experience, with the guiding principle “We are all Dragons” and the playful dragon emblazoned on the side of the building.

Lake Orion voters passed a $160 million, 10-year bond in 2018 to fund capital improvements in the district, including a new early childhood education facility.

Located on the Outdoor Discovery Center’s Nature Preserve, Little Hawks Discovery Preschool is a nature-based preschool program for three and four-year-olds. Started as a partnership between Hamilton Community Schools and Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway, the program had experienced tremendous growth, leading to lengthy waiting lists for students.

The existing preschool was comprised of a single room, which significantly limited enrollment opportunities. GMB worked with Outdoor Discovery Center to determine the ideal site for the new preschool facility. The site adjacent to the existing preschool was chosen due to its position as a central hub for the entire Nature Preserve. It also enables the existing preschool facility to be converted to a daycare building to provide pre- and post-school care for students.

With a growing community, Allendale Public Schools was looking to expand their early childhood program to a new facility. This new 66,000 square foot building serves up to 350 students and 35 staff members.