Roosevelt Elementary School's completely rebuilt campus features innovative use of limited space, including a playground built above a parking garage. Two-story buildings provide nearly100,000-square-feet of classroom and administration space, double the size of the campus' previous single-story buildings. All outdated portables were removed and replaced with new permanent buildings.
A rooftop playground (above a staff parking structure) adds approximately 50% more area for recreation and physical education. To honor the art deco architecture of the original school and its historical neighborhood, the new buildings were built with the same classical balance of traditionalism and modernism. An 80-year-old wooden door from the 1935 original building and photos of the old wall murals are displayed in the school library as reminders of Roosevelt's long, proud history.
In the center of campus, an amphitheater provides an outdoor gathering place and lunch area, while a multipurpose room with a stage that can be used as an auditorium for indoor student performances and events. The entire campus was built with energy savings in mind, including automatic dimming lights and temperature-controlled classrooms with large windows to optimize daylight.
The latest technology enables teachers to project images from their laptops or computers onto a screen in front of each classroom, and the entire campus has Wi-Fi capability. New pickup and drop-off lanes are designed to reduce traffic congestion in the neighborhood and increase safety.
Construction Duration: 2015
