Culverdale Elementary School recently underwent a transformative overhaul, blending its classic 1970s geometric design with modern functionality. As a unique hybrid project that combines new construction with thoughtful modernization, the project addressed both the aging infrastructure and fragmented layout of the nearly 50-year-old campus. Originally designed as two separate campuses, the site was in need of a cohesive, unified layout. The campus featured a semi-circular building housing lower grade classrooms, the MPR, library, and administration, along with scattered portable buildings used for upper-grade classrooms and support spaces.

As part of the District’s Measure E Bond Program, StudioWC led the design of key facilities to enhance program functionality, aesthetics, and spatial efficiency. The project included the creation of a new approximately 6,000 SF Multipurpose and Nutrition Services Building, alongside the renovation and reconfiguration of existing spaces. The new MPR offers a modern, functional space with excellent indoor/outdoor connectivity through a large folding glass wall, while the adjacent food service area features an expanded kitchen with a walk-in refrigerator and multiple serving lines.

A major component of the project was reorganizing the campus layout. The new building location allowed for the relocation and reorientation of portable classrooms, creating a cohesive upper-grade hub that includes modular classrooms, an Innovation Lab, and a Design Lab for hands-on learning. This reorganization also made room for a new covered lunch area, seamlessly connecting the food service space and hard courts.

StudioWC also renovated the existing MPR into a much-needed Student Services Center. This space now houses counseling offices, an adaptive PE room, a conference room, and restrooms, with site improvements for better wayfinding across the campus.

The result of this transformation is a unified and aesthetically enhanced campus. The new MPR building serves as a central connection between lower and upper grade classrooms, improving supervision and making better use of the hard-court play area. Overall, the project has successfully unified the campus and enriched the student experience.