The Estill County School District sought to replace an aging elementary school. The new school was constructed on the same site as the existing school. The central challenge, however, was that the existing facility was required to remain operational throughout the entire course of demolition and construction, and the available area for construction on the site was very limited.
The design team worked together to devise a solution that enabled the new school to be constructed while the old school was demolished in a series of carefully sequenced phases.
In the first phase, a new central core was constructed adjacent to the existing school. The core contained the media center, cafeteria/kitchen, gymnasium and administrative spaces for the new building. A new classroom wing to serve 1st through 3rd grades was constructed simultaneously and attached to the core. After moving these students into the new space, the vacated areas of the existing building were then demolished to make space for the second phase of construction.
A second phase of construction provided a second classroom wing to serve 4th and 5th graders and the demolition of the rest of the existing building.
This newly constructed building features a wide range of high performance features including geothermal HVAC, natural daylighting enhanced by sunshades and solar tubes, a cool, PVC roof membrane to mitigate heat gain and durable and recycled materials throughout.
Outside the school, rain gardens reduce runoff and prevent stormwater from entering the Kentucky River. An interactive playground and walking trail provide active and passive play areas including a music garden and butterfly garden.
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