Byram Lakes Elementary School

Stanhope, New Jersey

Firm

Design Resources Group

Client

Byram Township School District

Area

85,173 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$13,040,337

Completion Date

10/2003

The design of Byram Lakes Elementary School honors the region’s historical character by fusing elements of traditional school architecture with a contemporary aesthetic. The front facade features a stately colonnade, which supports a canopy and bell tower. Whimsical tile insets surround the building, depicting engaging scenes.
Among the 42 classrooms are rooms designed specifically for small-group instruction. There also are dedicated music, art and computer rooms. The cafetorium is situated centrally, and the gymnasium is at the rear of the building for community use. The building partially encloses a courtyard, which is viewable from the semicircular storytelling area in the media center. The media center features natural daylighting, indirect lighting and a stimulating color scheme that is designed to enhance the learning environment.
The site required keeping the building a sufficient distance from adjacent wetlands and a nearby habitat of a threatened owl species. This effectively limited the large site to a small buildable area. The siting of this building became one of the project’s design successes.