Holladay Elementary School

Meeting Diverse Educational Needs

Holladay Elementary School is the welcome center for the district's Dual Language Immersion Program (DLI), where instruction occurs half in Spanish and half in English each day. The school's design includes adaptable classrooms that mirror kindergarten layouts, with additional square footage and bathrooms, allowing administrators to modify spaces as enrollment patterns shift across pre-kindergarten through fifth grade programs.

Enhanced Learning Environment

The media center acts as the gateway to the academic wings, serving as the school's central hub. This versatile space combines traditional library functions with collaborative areas and tiered seating for presentations and story time. A secure courtyard, accessible from the media center, provides a protected outdoor learning environment while bringing natural light to surrounding educational spaces.

The school's identity appears through design elements that unify the space, with blue accents flowing through furniture, acoustic panels, flooring, and ceiling details. Display cabinets near the front entrance showcase student achievements and creative work, while a book nook by the learning stair gives students another place to share favorite reads and academic accomplishments.

Building Community Connection

The learning stair anchors the school's shared spaces, creating a central gathering place that links common areas to second-floor academic wings. The renovated cafeteria brightens the main corridor with new glazing that draws in natural light. Along the main street, a distinctive mural and interchangeable hanging panels let the school refresh its visual identity.

Adaptability for Growth

The expansion allows administrators to adjust academic wings as needed, while the gymnasium – with its stage, bleachers, and separate after-hours entrance – serves both school and community events. Working directly with teachers, the design team selected mobile furniture that adapts to different teaching approaches while incorporating the school's colors.

The teacher workroom, visible through windows near the learning stair, includes spaces for material preparation, quiet phone calls, and breaks. This multi-purpose area can transform into a maker space or student-teacher resource room. Extended learning areas in the academic wings support small groups and independent work, with clear sight lines from adjacent classrooms.

Environmental Leadership

The school earned LEED Gold certification and EPA's Designed to Earn the Energy Star recognition for its energy efficiency. The building incorporates a high-performance envelope, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heating and cooling system, LED lighting controls, and a 200 kW solar photovoltaic array.

The design pairs durable materials like polished concrete floors with standard materials used in distinctive ways. A wood-paneled waterfall above the learning stair and blue aluminum panels at the teacher workroom create visual interest while maintaining cost efficiency.

Through focused planning and practical design solutions, Holladay Elementary School serves its diverse community while adapting to change. The project reflects our commitment to creating sustainable, flexible learning environments that benefit students and support educators.

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