The first phase of an overall campus master plan developed for the Maury County Public School system by ESa, a new 700-student elementary school honors the region’s agricultural history with a clean, modern design. Developed in conjunction with a new middle school located next door, the single-story elementary school is located on a 242-acre site that will also accommodate a future high school and associated sports facilities. To encourage student engagement with the surrounding community, the rural site will also become the future home to the City of Spring Hill’s new recreation center, greenways and sports fields.
The school’s purpose-driven design is inspired by problem-based learning—a teaching methodology in which students acquire knowledge through open-ended problem solving and collaboration. Despite budget constraints, careful programming and design have created a school that offers all the problem-based learning initiatives that the school system wanted to implement within a footprint that is smaller than the national average.
The school is oriented to optimize views of the surrounding natural landscape and limit disturbance to a large creek that meanders the site. Two inclement weather rooms with concrete walls and ceilings are seamlessly integrated into the design to provide a safe area during severe weather.
© Attic Fire Photography
