Improve function and identity; preserve sentiment

“The design for Echo Horizon School, which educates hearing impaired students alongside their hearing classmates, recalls the mission of the school itself: avoid separation, integrate. The new addition creates a strong visual connection with the much loved, original campus.”

Built in 1926, the existing buildings at Echo Horizon School were architecturally undistinguished, yet the old school held sentimental attachments for the community.  In fact, the city designated the original school as a “significant” local structure. The expansion and renovation project included the addition of eight classrooms, library, computer, art, and science learning centers as well as three tutorial spaces. Acting as a “cloak” that envelopes the north, east, and south sides of the building, the new, wraparound wing is formal in composition, strengthening the school’s sense of institution.  The use of stucco, metal, and glass — materials of the original structure — creates continuity between the old building and the new.  While the materials were compatible with the existing palette, they were distinctive enough to establish a new identity and improve the image of the school.