Diven Elementary School, Additions and Alterations

Elmira, New York

Firm

Beardsley Design Associates Architecture, Engineering & Landscape Architecture, PC

Client

Elmira City School District

Area

84,700 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$9,000,173

Completion Date

08/2003

The architect worked closely with district personnel and the community-at-large to develop a plan for transforming Diven Elementary School in Elmira, N.Y. The intense planning effort included specific considerations for the environment, passive security, flexibility, community use, historical preservation and a team education model.
The exterior building evokes the image of a child’s set of building blocks with dynamic volumetric follies that populate the streetscape, welcoming the visitor. At the entry, the most striking component is light, which plays with primary colors as one moves from the library through open corridors and into the dynamic education spaces. Classrooms were doubled in size and arranged to be conducive to collaboration and interaction. For the building’s materials and systems, low-VOC-emitting materials, motion sensors on plumbing fixtures/lights, and a high-efficiency HVAC system were included to help reduce its environmental impact.
The outdated 1929 building has been transformed into an ideal tool for applying modern education techniques. Its design demonstrates recognition of the environment, which can help students facilitate productive growth.