Lucille Smith Elementary School

Lawndale, California

Firm

Dougherty + Dougherty Architects LLP

Client

Lawndale Elementary School District

Area

35,376 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$7,200,000

Completion Date

12/2005

Lucille Smith Elementary School represents a new vision for the Lawndale Elementary School District and the city center of the small southern California city of Lawndale.
A total of 540 K-3 students will occupy this dense 3.5 acres, which was the site of a former elementary school. The campus will have a two-story classroom building, a kindergarten building and playground, an administration/library/multiuse building, a lunch shelter, asphalt play and elementary-sized playfields, and parking and dropoff areas that also will serve adjacent city functions.
Inherent flexibility for age-related classrooms, a new technological backbone, and new indoor and outdoor facilities for school and community functions will make the school a new community asset with joint-use potential. The design will create a campus with space between the buildings for gatherings and community use, and will relate scale and open space to the adjacent civic center.
A distinctively modern architectural style embodies the district’s vision for technology and creativity within the elementary school curriculum.

“Appreciate attention given to creating campus–exterior spaces are formed by buildings.”–2005 jury