South Fayette New K-2 School

Quality early childhood education is essential to how a student will function socially and intellectually for the rest of their lives. The new South Fayette Township K-2 Elementary School’s design aims to support students’ natural behaviors, curiosity, and needs while also accommodating the needs of teachers and staff to deliver high-quality education.

To support the District’s mission to honor young learners’ natural curiosity, DRAW is leading the design of the new K-2 Elementary School that features student-forward classrooms that enhance student creativity and a love for learning. Classroom wings feature “front porches” to gather and welcome students and provide collaborative breakout space in the hallway to encourage socialization among the students. Additionally, all classrooms are built to the same dimensions, which are larger than typical early childhood classrooms; this detail allows the structure to remain consistent throughout the building. Classrooms are paired together with a shared bathroom area and dedicated “back patio” for small group instruction attached to each classroom. These breakout spaces also serve as an area for paraprofessionals to work with students without completely removing them from the rest of the class.

Supporting Students of All Needs

The new building is heavily focused on supporting students who need extra care and attention. A Life Skills classroom is provided for each grade level, and features a dedicated “wet zone” and sensory rooms, each designed with materials and colors that promote calmness and serenity. A large, loud open space like a cafeteria can be overwhelming for many students. The District is determined to provide a space that is suitable for everyone. Thus, DRAW designed breakout spaces off the cafeteria for students who may prefer more privacy or sensory isolation. These spaces are thematically designed to resemble small restaurants, bakeries, pizza shops, and cafes, turning the Cafeteria into a miniature town square.

The hallways are designed to resemble a children’s museum, featuring engaging activities along the walls. Off the cafeteria is a wall exposing the building’s plumbing and electrical systems. Instead of covering the pipes and ductwork that most buildings hide, DRAW’s design showcases this system for educational purposes. Allowing the students to view how the water system works, where the water goes, and how the school stays running further supports South Fayette’s mission to encourage curiosity and expose young minds to real life jobs and complex functions in an engaging way. This mission goes in-hand with South Fayette’s “World of Work” program; a program that supports students in their curiosity for real-world jobs and what each of those occupations involve. Dedicated “World of Work” spaces have been designed for each grade level.

Outdoor Learning and Play

The school features a new playground, as well as a fully-enclosed courtyard, both of which are designed to support the educational curriculum through outdoor play and learning.  The courtyard features varying-texture pathways, rock streams, mounds, and a labyrinth to de-escalate and provide sensory stimulation in a controlled outdoor environment.  The courtyard also features an outdoor amphitheater classroom to support the school’s STEAM and Life Sciences curriculum.  The playground features a blend of play surfaces, turf fields, play structures, mounds, miniature roadways and storefronts, and even more sensory paths all carefully designed to enhance the educational program.

Designing with Purpose

The design for the new South Fayette Township Elementary School aims to meet students’ developmental needs and support their natural curiosity to see themselves as capable contributors to the world. Each design choice is intentionally and empathetically chosen with the end users in mind. DRAW and the District are working together to create a new space that inspires inquiry about outdoor environments, life beyond school, and answering the “Why?” of everyday life.