Fielding International designed Wasatch Elementary School with spaces made for young minds to learn and explore in Ogden, Utah.

Wasatch Elementary is a shining example of utilizing space in a better way, where teaching and learning has been expanded outside of traditional classrooms in stimulating and varied physical environments.

Nestled at the base of Mt. Ogden, the Wasatch Elementary School community was in need of new learning spaces to accommodate their growing student population while providing 21st century learning opportunities for the entire student body.

Fielding’s team of Educators and Designers, along with Design West Architects, met with families, community members, educators and students to explore, imagine, and develop ideas for ways a new addition to the school could make learning experiences even more meaningful. Opportunities to extend learning outside of traditional classrooms into common areas, more library and media spaces, and even the outdoors, was exciting and helped drive the design to include flexible and adaptable spaces that can shift alongside class projects and support team teaching.

Emphasis was placed on the qualities of the spaces that students would inhabit, an abundance of natural light, variety in the sizes and shapes of learning spaces, and environments designed to support individual learner needs throughout. Larger, community-oriented spaces were added to accommodate sizable groups, presentations, and performances to elevate humanities and the arts, and the existing library and administrative spaces were renovated to provide better learning/workspaces for students, teachers, and staff.

The addition also serves as an educational bridge between the elementary experience and the middle-school experience that students are preparing for when they leave their community school and transition to 7th grade in a new location. The facility provides opportunities for students to practice independence, autonomy, and build confidence understanding their own learning needs and styles.

Design: Fielding International
Photography: Meagan Larsen