Birchwood Elementary School
Taking cues from the school name, birchwood is incorporated throughout the interior. The exterior materials – brick, metal, and wood – were informed by the site’s mining past.
Location
Bellingham, WA
Client
Bellingham School District
Birchwood Elementary School houses approximately 400 students in grades Pre-K through Fifth. The school is located in nearly the same location as the former Birchwood Elementary, maintaining an urban presence on the street. Materials such as the brick facade and proportions of windows recall the former building, while accommodating contemporary needs.
The new Birchwood Elementary School is centered around the library, with three classroom clusters extending to the south and with the office, cafeteria and gym to the north. Classrooms open onto flexible team learning spaces and each classroom pod has direct access to an outdoor learning area. High clerestory windows allow ample natural light to enter the length of the building and high efficiency mechanical systems help reduce energy costs.
