Michelle Obama School

The design of Michelle Obama Elementary School was conceived to provide a learning experience for students to help them thrive in an ever-changing and complex world and to support the continuing partnership between the District and the community it serves. The project integrates spaces for 21st-century learning, facilitating the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and hands-on learning that are essential for student success.

The Type-V wood frame single and two-story buildings of the campus are strategically oriented and designed with passive strategies for optimal daylighting. Glulam and LVL were abundantly used for large span project-based learning suites and for large operable walls between learning spaces. The design team collaborated closely to feature an exposed Glulam structure in the Multiple Purpose Room instead of the costly and customized open steel truss that would also require a taller building for the required ceiling clearance.