Westview Elementary School
Fitzgerald Public Schools
24077 Warner
Warren MI, 48091
Contact:
Barbara VanSweden, Superintendent (586.757.1750)
Scotty Perks, Director of Operations (586.758.0880)
Cost:
$16,085,618
Size:
98,500 SF
Completion:
August 2007
Construction Manager:
Skanska USA Building, Inc
The New Westview Elementary School was built to replace an aging, single story 1950’s era building of approximately 67,000sf which contained classrooms that were inflexible, small and thus not easily adaptable to today’s educational demands. The building was poorly organized, difficult for young students to navigate and had little to no identity. The building was also costly to operate due to the inefficient exterior envelope and aging mechanical and electrical systems. The district was determined to replace the existing building with a new, state of the art facility which would redefine “school” to the Fitzgerald Community and become a starting point for revitalization of the neighborhood.
This project offered many innovative design solutions, some of which are highlighted below:
The building was designed to support exploration, discovery and team-based learning. The layout of the facility encourages visual interaction between spaces and provides additional opportunities for socialization and learning. The entrance lobby incorporates a future interactive kiosk linked to the building's energy management system. This kiosk will provide students with information on the building, its geo-thermal mechanical system and the energy it consumes.
