Truman Elementary School

truman elementary school

Vancouver, Washington

CLIENT

Vancouver Public Schools

size

90,000 sf

YEAR

2021

Awards

  • 2021, Learning By Design, Outstanding Project Award, New Construction / Addition

Devised as an open-concept school in 1979, Truman Elementary School lacked interior partitions and individual classrooms, emphasizing cross-grade collaboration. However, the open-concept design lacked acoustic treatments, storage, display areas, and opportunities to embrace 21st century learning pedagogies.

With the new school design, the district re-imagined a place to accommodate increased enrollment while continuing to embrace the school culture that supports collaboration for students, staff, families, and the community. Staff was enthusiastically involved in the design of their student's educational experience -- a school that supports open-concept collaboration, traditional teaching, differentiated instruction, and project-based learning.

The new school is divided into high-energy and quiet-energy spaces separated by a secure outdoor courtyard. The north building houses “high-energy” spaces such as movement, music, art, a physical education “fitnasium” space, a cafeteria, and the commons. The south building houses “quiet-energy” learning activities such as the learning stairs, media center, and learning communities.

The learning communities, or pods, contain perimeter classrooms that open into a collaborative studio area that features smaller breakout areas and makerspaces. Truman’s education model places social-emotional learning on par with academic learning. The “push out” spaces in each learning community provide students with safe spaces for self-reflection or individual learning.

 

Nature icons are used throughout the school and learning communities.

 

Cloud graphics define a flexible learning space.

 

"The design process was incredible. Truman teachers described our work while Bassetti staff listened and then designed a structure to support the work we described. This collaboration produced a building that supports multi-tiered academic and social/ emotional learning."

Theresa David-Turner
Truman Elementary Principal [former]

 

Each learning community features a wet makerspace for project-based, hands-on learning.

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Vancouver School of Arts and Academics (VSAA)