Taylorsville Elementary

A 21st Century Elementary School

The New Taylorsville Elementary School is organized as a two story intermediate wing and a one story primary wing to create a “hybrid” arrangement that effectively takes advantage of the site’s ridge. The two story intermediate classroom wing aids in creating a commanding presence to the highway, while the one story primary wing toward the rear of the property keeps younger students on the entry level and immediately adjacent to all assembly spaces within the building (media center, gymnasium, and cafeteria) to limit travel distances and ease transitions.

An easily identifiable entry piece, the cafeteria featuring a clerestory for harvesting daylight, and a strikingly linear parent pickup/dropoff canopy are signature elements that define the building’s character. Within the building, extended learning areas help to break down the length of the intermediate wing, provide areas for breakout and small group study, and promote opportunities for learning outside of the traditional classroom environment. Other unique program components include a centrally located Reading Recovery Room adjacent to the media center, a computer lab that doubles as a STEM lab, and an outdoor learning area that surrounds the media center.

Sustainable features include the use of insulated concrete forms (ICF) for a superior thermal envelope and increased speed of construction, a geothermal mechanical system, the use of no wax floor finishes and LED lighting throughout, to reduce maintenance costs for the life of the building. All of these strategies will improve the energy efficiency level of Taylorsville Elementary to reach Net Zero Achievable, operating at less than 25 EUI/SF/YR.