The Lake Washington School District building modernization efforts provided an excellent learning opportunity for the students at Community Elementary School, a choice school in Kirkland. This elementary school, a parent-initiated alternative school, houses only three multi-age classrooms for grades 1-6. Learning that their school would be re-built in the next five years, Jill Reifschneider, the teacher of the older students, along with school art docents created an art and architecture project around the notion of creating a sense of community in the school.

Experiential learning is one of the foundational constructs of the school so taking the school modernization as a learning opportunity was only natural. In this case, the architecture project linked social and environmental issues such as green building with math extensions including scaling and space organization.

Fortunately also foundational to the school is the reliance on parent volunteers, so having parents that have careers in architecture and community planning helped bring the idea to reality. The concept for the project was implemented two years ago but the same parents were on hand to do the project again with the older students.

Practicing architect (and dad) Galen Page, his partner Lee Beard and practicing community planner (and mom) Kari Page initiated the project with a discussion of the school to build the foundation for design. Students were asked “What does community mean to you?” Students talked about the multi-age learning and playing that occurs at the school, about being environmentally conscientious and social emotional support that is afforded to all. Many students focused on the common spaces that are essential for play.