Tehaleh Heights Elementary School

Bonney Lake, Washington

Firm

Erickson McGovern Architects

Client

Sumner-Bonney Lake School District No. 320

Area

56,676 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$20,828,834

Completion Date

09/2018

Erickson McGovern Architects

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Design Team
EMA Team: Raymond Mow, AIA (Principal in Charge); Wade Jensen, LEED AP (BD+C), AIA (Project Manager/ Lead Designer); Paul DeMoncada, AAIA, ACP (Construction Admin.); Sitts & Hill Engineers (Civil) – Marty Merriott; Weisman Design Group (Landscape) – Andy Rasmussen; PCS Structural Solutions (Structural) – Wes Neeley;
BCE Engineers (Mechanical) – Jeff Hardwick; BCE Engineers (Electrical) – Carrie Taylor; Roen Associates (Cost Estimating) – Roger Roen

Taheleh Heights Elementary School has been designed to showcase Sumner-Bonney Lake School District’s focus on STEM-based learning.
Among the building’s features:

• Flexible spaces enable the learning environment to be modified based on lessons.
• Dedicated display areas for student work encourage communication and review of projects.
• The two-story building leaves enough space for a future 30,000-square-foot early learning center to be constructed on the same site.
• Utilities and infrastructure can be shared between the main school building and the future early learning center.
• Each classroom wing is inspired by a theme based on the natural environment: fauna, flora, aqua, terra. This ties the environment to the curriculum.
• Exposed mechanical, electrical and structural systems in the building inspire students to ask questions about how buildings work.
• Classroom wings face a STEM courtyard that abuts a wetland buffer on the site.
• The STEM courtyard has areas for exploration and outdoor learning: a garden, rainwater collection cistern, outdoor classroom, native habitat areas and rain garden.
• Measurement markers are placed throughout the outdoor classroom.
• A weather station is tied to the energy dashboard inside the building, so students can analyze real-time data on their environment.