Hazel Dell Elementary School

Vancouver, Washington

Firm

LSW Architects, PC

Client

Vancouver School District No. 37

Area

55,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$6,198,640

Completion Date

08/2003

The school responds to its population’s needs through a variety of educational spaces and a welcoming atmosphere. More than 70 percent of Hazel Dell students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and only 68 percent are enrolled all year.
The tutoring volunteer center is incorporated with the reading specialist’s area for individual or small-group instruction. A separate gym and commons expand the educational possibilities. A stage has built-in risers for choral performances. A courtyard with tiered seats provides outdoor presentation and work space. Co-ops welcome small and large groups. Clerestories bring diffused daylight into key spaces.
A portion of the former school remains on-site for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Southwest Washington. The school and the club form an all-day educational and recreational campus.
Hazel Dell’s history is preserved with a refurbished bell atop a platform built of bricks from the old building. The bell is rung by outgoing fifth graders on the last day of school.