© Pete Eckert
- Architects: TCF Architecture
- Location: 24216 Witte Rd SE, Maple Valley, WA 98038, United States
- Lead Architect: Brian Ho
- Designer: Scott Olson
- Project Team: Gerry Pless, Mona Rezvani, Ryan Cornwall, JR Mill, Cassie Hodge, Sheena Hewett, Venita Brown, Mishka Morgus, Paul Irving
- Area: 94000.0 ft2
- Project Year: 2017
- Photographs: Pete Eckert
- Civil Engineer: AHBL / Todd Sawin, Jason Isenberg
- Structural Engineer: PCS Structural Solutions / Jack Pinkard, Luke Heath
- Mechanical Engineer: Metrix Engineers / Josh Robischan, Eric Nordland
- Electrical Engineer: BCE Engineers / Chuck Heaton, Carrie Taylor
- Envelope Consultant: OAC Services
- Acoustical Consultant: SSA Acoustics / Bill Stewart
- Food Service Design: Clevenger Associates / Tony Clevenger, Brent Hall
- Hardware Consultant: Adams Consulting & Estimating, Gordon Adams
© Pete Eckert
Text description provided by the architects. The Lake Wilderness Elementary School project began as a modernization to an existing campus of aged buildings and portables. The design process brought opportunity to fully transform the campus to provide a new 94,000 SF, two-story building designed for 850 students.
Site plan
To strategically allow the former school to remain functional during transition, the new building occupies the site of former playfields. Lake Wilderness now sits toward the rear of the parcel, on an upper plateau of the bi-level site. In plan, its curved circulation spine is joined by four radial wings. This layout tightly knits four facades at the public side, and fans out in the back to invite light and views to the interiors.
© Pete Eckert
Diagram
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The rising population of the Maple Valley region actively contributes toward the status of Lake Wilderness Elementary as one largest in the State. Future growth is anticipated within the building’s floor plan. Ground-level voids offer semi-sheltered outdoor spaces, ready to be infilled as classrooms as the need for incremental growth arises. A robust, five classroom pre-school program is supported by its own conference rooms and satellite offices, essentially making it a “school within a school.”
© Pete Eckert
The spirit of the project is revealed in its appropriate scale and thoughtful vernacular, which emerged as a response to the residential context and large program size. Courtyards are nestled between simple, efficient “learning neighborhoods”. The building employs strong, simple gable forms relating to the adjacent neighborhood. Brick cladding provides in impression of quality and permanence.
© Pete Eckert
Ground floor plan
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Inside, Lake Wilderness guests, students and staff are greeted by child-like design elements. Playful iconography, acoustic art installations, and strategic blocks of color foster a sense of whimsy. The interior scale of the school is reduced to environments of playfulness, intimacy and wonder.
© Pete Eckert