Custer Elementary School

ferndale school district

This new 55,000 sf school was designed to replace the existing 500-student, K-5 elementary school. Construction for the new facility was to be sited on the playfields and take place while students were in school. 

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The design incorporates adaptive reuse of materials and equipment from the old school with the design motif featuring masonry and vaulted windows reminiscent of the original 1930′s school. Visitors would be welcomed through a hallway featuring a mural depicting local history.

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The school was designed with four pods of four classrooms each. Break-out areas in each classroom pod facilitate large or small group activities and are easily supervised via relites in classroom walls. The school was designed with a lock-down system for emergencies. A central open area encourages school and community gatherings and it can also be used as a teaching space.

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The gymnasium and multipurpose rooms were designed for after-hours availability to the community. The operable walls located between the gymnasium, multi-purpose, and music rooms provide flexibility for one large, or multiple small gatherings. These areas can be opened separately from the rest of the school and are designed to be made available for community use.

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Custer Elementary School was designed thru the Construction Documents phase.