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Honorable Mention
Early
Childhood
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Elementary
School
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2011
Helen M. Knight Elementary Moab, UT
GENERAL EXCELLENCE Entire School/Campus Building
MHTN Architects, Inc. 420 E. South Temple, Suite 100 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 www.mhtn.com Bruce Barnes, AIA, LEED AP 801/595-6700 James T. Dresslar Architect LLC Design team Reaveley and Associates, Structural Engineer Van Boerum & Frank Associates, Inc., Mechanical Engineer Electrical Consulting Engineers (ECE), Electrical Engineer Stantec, Civil Engineer Hogan and Associates Construction, Construction Management, General Contractor Jedrziewski Designs, Kitchen Consultant Owner/Client Grand County School District Moab, UT Margaret Hopkin, Superintendent 435/259-5317 KEY stats Grades Served: K-6 Capacity: 900 students Size of Site: 12.6 acres Building Area: 117,744 sq. ft. Space per Student: 130 sq. ft. Cost per Student: $2,193 Square Foot Cost: $168 Construction Cost: $19.7 million Total Project Cost: $21.7 million Contract Date: April 2009 Completed: Oct. 2010 Photography: Scott Zimmerman Photography
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elen M. Knight Elementary School in Moab, Utah, was built to replace two outdated schools and was constructed on open space adjacent to one of the existing schools. In changing the paradigm from two small schools to one large school, staff and community members wanted to provide a smalllearning-community feel with safe, comfortable environments for the lower-grade students. To reduce the large-school feeling, grade-level classrooms
were organized around community learning centers, which are large enough for 125 students in each grade to meet together to work on projects, play, sing, and fill many needs for teachers and students. The school was also organized into two smaller schools (kindergarten through grade 3 and grades 4 through 6). This school-within-a-school design grouped age levels together, allowing students to feel a sense of belonging and maintaining the small-school feeling while
conserving resources. This project reflects the best in elementary learning environments in a regionally appropriate aesthetic, utilizing local materials and color palette without literally copying any style or geologic feature. The new school employed integrated design to implement sustainable standards for the harsh desert of Moab. Students and faculty, along with the district and community, have an outstanding learning environment that they truly adore. n
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