Larry G. Smith Elementary School

Dallas Independent School District (DISD) wanted an elementary school that stimulated and encouraged exploration and investigative thinking among students and teachers. DISD recognized that students learn best in “safe” environments among other children close to their age group.
Larry G. Smith Elementary School accommodates 809 students in grades pre-K to 5. The 91,562-square-foot, two-story structure is situated on about 13 acres in the city of Mesquite, just beyond the southeast border of Dallas.
The facility’s two-story entrance lobby and media center form the hub from which the academic wings extend. Extensive use of glass on both the exterior and interior enlivens these spaces and allows connections to and through the space. Within the media center, the overhanging computer room creates a defined reading nook in the media center below. Other zones for study and multimedia activities were created with shelving units.
Although bright colors were used in the entrance lobby and public corridors, more subtle tones were employed in the media center to reflect the quieter activities in that space.

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