North Canton City Schools began their journey with a district-wide master plan. Phase one implemented construction of two new elementary schools for Primary and Intermediate students. The new Primary consolidates pre-kindergarten through second grade from three aging buildings. The school is designed to be adaptable to changing needs for different types of learning and collaboration. It is intended to meet the needs of all students, including those in the “middle”.

The building location and positioning were considered carefully to ensure safety, comfort, and efficiency. Placed in the downtown Hoover District, the new Primary is shared by the community.

Because the building combines two smaller neighborhood schools and a separate PreK program, the layout intentionally breaks down each grade level into smaller teams. This helps the younger students not feel overwhelmed by the larger facility and creates community aspects similar to what the teachers and students cherished about their existing neighborhood schools. The smaller teams of four to six classrooms are centered around Common Learning Areas (CLA). The CLAs are flexible learning environments that facilitate small group, collaborative, and active learning while allowing for easy movement amongst the teams.

Within each team there is a large group room with direct access to two adjacent classrooms for use by intervention specialists and differentiated instruction. Similarly, each team has a small group room for academic specialists and personalized learning needs. Kindergarten and First Grade are nearly identical, stacked atop each other to support multi-age learning in the future. Staff support space occurs in each grade level. Two staff eating and planning rooms are shared by all teachers and staff to encourage cross-grade collaboration. The gym, media center, art, and music spaces are centrally located for easier and controlled access. Student dining is a two-story volume penetrating into the center of the building, distributing natural light to spaces without exterior walls.

Following their goals of differentiated and personalized learning, the interior inspiration is derived from the light-hearted and playful nature of bubbles. “Each of us exists in our own bubble, composed of unique traits. We are constantly moving, growing, discovering, and learning independently. When a group of singular bubbles come together, our boundaries converge. What once was an individual journey becomes a shared experience. We start to grow, discover, and learn from each other.” The design intends to foster learning through environments catering toward the individual and collaborative needs of the community. Circular motifs and pops of color keep the spaces feeling light and playful.

Sustainability and wellness design were integrated throughout the building, with the goal of achieving LEED v.4.0 Silver Certification. The building is purposefully compact to decrease the amount of exterior surface area and increase envelope efficiency. The linear east-west orientation maximizes natural daylighting for the academic areas. Expansive views from the reception area mean visitors are seen prior to entering. Parent traffic and bus traffic are separated via opposite entry points keeping students from crossing vehicular circulation paths. The playgrounds and outdoor learning areas are internalized away from perimeter streets.

Design: SōL Harris/Day Architecture
Design Team: Domenic Ferrante, Jordan Lewis, Burt Marzley, Regina Erdman, Jeff Hardy, Julie Ziga, Will Duncan
Photography: Todd Biss Productions