Spectrum Design Architecs | Engineers

Goodview Elementary School

Virginia School Boards Association Best New Elementary School, 2001
Bedford County Public Schools
Bedford County, Virginia

Spectrum Design developed a program for a 82,060 SF, 750-student prototypical elementary school that not only met the current needs of a growing school district, but also has the ability to accommodate future educational programs in order to keep pace with the constantly evolving field of education.

The design concept developed from the program is clear and concise. The layout is efficient, and offers ample flexibility to meet future needs, as well as changing student enrollment patterns over the years. The school contains three classroom wings, one each for grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. These wings permit grouping of similar aged students for effective instruction, as well as providing a home base for each grade level. The classrooms are arranged within the wings in such a way that, when necessary, selected classrooms can be shared among wings to accommodate a fluctuating enrollment.

Each wing contains teacher work and storage areas, as well as student rest rooms to minimize travel distance for students to allow for greater supervision. Organizationally, classroom wings are located on one side of a main corridor, while the gymnasium, administration, media center, cafetorium, art and computer labs are located on the opposite side. Access directly to the exterior from the gym and cafeteria allow easy community access after school hours while maintaining security throughout the rest of the school. The administration and media center is centrally located in the heart of the school. The art and computer labs are highly visible to allow visitors to enjoy the creative and technical work of the students.