Waverly Shell Rock Elementary

Located in Waverly, Iowa, Prairie West Elementary embodies a forward-thinking approach to educational environments, seamlessly integrating community, playfulness, and functionality to support 21st-century learning. The design prioritizes adaptability, creativity, and a strong sense of place, ensuring that students feel engaged and connected to their surroundings. Prairie West Elementary was designed to connect with its community and natural setting, using the site’s topography to maximize daylight while minimizing environmental impact. Expansive windows and regional materials enhance both identity and connectivity, creating a space that fosters belonging and well-being and strengthens the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The interior is designed to foster curiosity and engagement through a balance of structured and flexible spaces. Playful yet purposeful design elements, such as integrated seating nooks, modular furniture, and writable surfaces, allow students to explore different ways of learning. The media center serves as the heart of the school, offering an energetic and inviting space where students can read, collaborate, or work independently. The double-height volume enhances openness, while furniture arrangements encourage movement and adaptability. Translucent polycarbonate panels define spaces while maintaining connectivity and sightlines, ensuring both supervision and a sense of openness. Intuitive wayfinding was a key consideration in the design, ensuring that young learners can navigate their environment with ease. Color, materiality, and graphics work in harmony to create subtle yet effective visual cues. A focal topographic map of Waverly in the commons reinforces the school’s relationship with its natural surroundings. The graphics abstractly reference local topography, waterways, and prairie vegetation to foster learning by association with elements within their community. Daylight enhances aesthetics and student well-being, with floor-to-ceiling windows and clerestories, that create bright, uplifting spaces. The strategic placement of classrooms along the building’s perimeter ensures that learning spaces receive ample daylight throughout the day to help with productivity and enhance the learning environment. A nature-inspired color palette grounds the design, blending soft greens, deep blues, and warm neutrals to create a calming yet energizing atmosphere. Durable yet inviting materials such as wood accents, acoustic panels, and textured surfaces, contribute to a multi-sensory learning experience, balancing aesthetics with functionality. The lighting design enhances the overall experience, with an emphasis on natural light and energy-efficient fixtures. Sustainability played a key role in the design, with the hillside location minimizing site disturbance and providing natural thermal resistance, reducing energy load. Mechanical systems were strategically placed within the landscape to preserve aesthetics and maximize functionality. The gymnasium and shared spaces are designed to foster community engagement, doubling as venues for local events and reinforcing the school's role as a community hub. Prairie West Elementary’s interior design sets a new benchmark for educational spaces, demonstrating how thoughtful design can shape student experiences. By integrating natural elements, flexible learning zones, and intuitive wayfinding, the school provides an environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. The result is a future-ready space that seamlessly blends form and function, innovation and tradition, community and education.