Wake County Public School System
North Ridge Elementary School
This new elementary school facility for a well-established neighborhood consolidated programs which were previously scattered across multiple campus buildings. The outdated facilities were challenging to navigate and separated various educational functions in disparate locations; replacing the buildings with a unified design prepared the beloved campus for a new generation of use.
LOCATION: Raleigh, NC
SIZE: 130,000 SF
COMPLETED: 2019
Learning Neighborhoods
Students enter a welcoming open lobby which branches off into classroom “neighborhoods” and resource spaces punctuated by generous learning commons areas for collaboration. The learning commons spaces open to exterior views, taking advantage of abundant natural light and reinforcing the visual connection with the neighborhood. Throughout the interior, a welcoming kid-friendly color palette encourages independent wayfinding for young students and reinforces classroom neighborhood identities.
Community-Centric Design
The design merged community input with county standards for site-specific strategies, resulting in better architectural integration with the neighborhood, improved traffic flow and stormwater management, preservation of a mature grove of campus trees, and better wayfinding and security. Thoughtful connections between the exterior and interior underscore a strong sense of integration with the neighborhood and the wider community.
