The goal of creating an addition to the existing Levan R. Scott Academy was to expand student capacity to meet the needs of a growing student body. Elevatus Architecture and the construction manager were hired to more than double the existing building’s square footage on the school’s property to facilitate this growth. The addition is to include:
- Additional 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade classrooms
- A Media Center
- A Cafeteria
- Collaboration Spaces
- An Administration Suite
- Music and Art Rooms
- Site amenities include playgrounds, parent pick-up drive, additional parking
As the first substantial elementary school addition Fort Wayne Community Schools has done in decades; careful consideration was given to the building’s design. The interior of the school addition was designed to facilitate experiential learning, including the implementation of shared collaboration spaces that will foster teamwork and cooperation between students. To plan for the future needs of Fort Wayne Community Schools, these collaboration spaces were sized like a typical classroom. Hence, the opportunity for conversion exists as the school continues to grow.
On the exterior, the design team aimed to pay homage to the existing building’s character while celebrating the addition with contemporary aesthetics. The design team also created what will become the school’s new main entry that will, in combination with the revamped site layout, help create a more welcoming and safe school environment.