Yorkshire Elementary School, York Suburban School District

Yorkshire Elementary School is a 60,835 SF new facility designed to accommodate 350 K-2 students. Two main goals for the design of the school include its ability to support the “school within a school” concept and its ability to function as a teaching tool. To facilitate the former, spaces were designed to allow for interaction and learning opportunities in a cross-grade instruction format. To facilitate the latter, features such as exposed mechanical systems, mechanical system monitoring devices, and detention pond wetland plantings were included.

Additionally, the facility features a “Main Street” that runs the length of the school and serves as a divider between the public and academic spaces. The media center functions as the core of the school, with all other academic spaces radiating out from it.

Employing steel frame construction with brick veneer and metal panel systems, the facility incorporates a substantial amount of curtain wall and storefront glazing to maximize natural daylight. The new facility utilizes a ground source heat pump and solar hot water heater for efficient heating and cooling and, further contributing to the LEED Silver certification, reuses materials salvaged from the school that existed previously on the same site, including wood floors, trim and slate roofing shingles.