Success by Design

Designed by Sapp Design Associates, Architects

This Willard R-II School District project, completed in 1996, is designed for an initial population of 300 kindergarten through sixth-grade students and is expandable for up to 600. Special emphasis was given to creating memorable images for the students to identify with, both in the larger scale of the building itself, as well as smaller scale interior landmarks.

Groups of four classrooms are organized around common entry nodes, each group uniquely defined with color. The art room and library border the entry vestibule, allowing for display of students' work at the heart of the complex. Other features include a multipurpose area comprising gymnasium, stage and dining area. The school boasts a state-of-the-art computer network system and a ground-source heat pump.

One challenge was to create a high-quality school design within a very limited budget range of $54 per square foot. The result is one of southwest Missouri's landmark educational facilities exhibiting excellence in design, educational environments, technology integration and a state-of-the-art ground-source heat pump system.[[In-content Ad]]