This new two-story, 199,300 sf, X-shaped school features a steel frame and exterior walls with cold-formed metal framing and a rainscreen cladding system. Modeled after a children’s museum, the building and its environment serve as interactive teaching tools. Centralized common areas are designed to encourage student engagement. The innovative facility features two wings with elementary on one side and middle school on the other. This includes areas for Creativity, Innovation, and Research (CIRC), music and movement rooms, cafeteria, tornado shelter, combined gymnasium/auditorium, and a library. The building uses efficient HVAC and geothermal systems, rooftop ventilation, and ducted heat pumps. Electrical includes underground service and a backup generator. Plumbing features water-saving fixtures, automatic faucets, and localized heating. Ehrman Crest was named one of TIME magazine’s Best Inventions and featured by Smithsonian magazine as a model School of the Future.
Accolades: Best Invention – TIME Magazine, School of the Future – Smithsonian, Honor Award – American Institute of Architects (AIA)
