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Kapowsin Elementary School Award-winning Kapowsin Elementary School is the result of a 20-year relationship between BLRB and Bethel School District. Based on a prototype design done for the District two decades ago, Kapowsin, in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, is not only reflective of its community spirit, its design seamlessly blends energy efficiency and educational goals. Kapowsin is the district’s seventh iteration of the original prototype design and replaces the original elementary school on the site. Twenty years ago, Bethel School District commissioned BLRB to create a prototype design for elementary schools. The district knew it would be growing significantly in the coming years and wanted a design that was energy efficient, timeless and that reflected the community’s character. The district could then use this design to save time and money when the time came to build new schools. Each school since has been based on this initial prototype design, with elements added to make each school unique. The single story wood frame building complements the area’s architecture and natural beauty. The plan of the school building is compact, with all circulation between spaces being internalized through the daylighted corridor system. Spaces include 18 classrooms, including special education and kindergarten. Common areas such as administration, library, multi-purpose room, and the computer lab are located near the center of the building and easily accessible by all general classroom spaces. Children’s artwork, as well as historical artwork from the community, was also integrated into the design, as was the original school sign, which now finds a home in the library. Many of the common areas are internal to the building and are provided with daylight by translucent skylights. In addition to daylighting, the school features “green” architecture and energy-efficient heating and cooling, including a unique heating system called a geo-exchange heat pump. The system, while slightly more expensive to install, saves the district thousands of dollars a year in energy costs. First Place: “Why We Love Our School” Competition, Council of Educational Facility Planners International, Washington Chapter "Each day as I journey to Kapowsin Elementary and enter our new school, I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to fulfill a dream of this community. Our children, parents, staff, and the community deserve the very best, and I feel that we have received this gift for which we will always be grateful. Many thanks go to BLRB who helped make our dream come true." -Brad Graham, Principal Grades K-6 |  | ||||
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