Summerlin school's design also teaches

Linda Givens Elementary School, which opened recently in The Vistas village of the Summerlin master-planned community, is one of two two-story prototype elementary schools in the Clark County School District.

John Lopeman, project manager at JMA Architecture Studios, said constructing the facility on the 10.8-acre site, which sloped westward and had an abundance of caliche, was challenging, but resulted in some interesting and colorful architecture.

"While the architecture was initially dictated by the restrictions of the site, the end result is a beautiful and highly functional school in which the architecture is part of the learning experience," he said.

"For example, the skylight in the school's foyer features panels through which light passes. The primary-colored panels are layered to create secondary colors, such as yellow and green panels that combine to create blue. There's a lesson to be learned right there, and we are encouraging teachers to take advantage of those real-life learning opportunities."

Lopeman said he is proud of the school's nontraditional learning environment, which includes a shaded courtyard that serves as an outdoor classroom; and the energy-saving features such as lights run by motion sensors, a design that allows classrooms to take advantage of sunlight, and a 1,623-square-foot sunscreen that shades the building's east side.

"While many of the school's architectural features are functional, others are playful and fun and are meant to break down the scale of the 77,530-square-foot school, which is larger than most single-story schools within CCSD," Lopeman said. "Giant red crayon-shaped columns and a crayon-themed staircase add an appropriate element of fun to the learning environment and are especially suitable for elementary school-aged students."

Lopeman said the two-story design saved the district about $1.5 million in grading costs, allowing more funds for its physical structure.

"Instead of spending money on expensive grading, the school itself was significantly enhanced with larger than normal classrooms and enhanced learning environments, such as the outdoor courtyard."

Givens Elementary is one of 19 public and private schools within Summerlin. It opened in August and has nearly 500 pupils.

Developed by The Howard Hughes Corp., Summerlin ranked as the country's best-selling master-planned community for much of the last decade, according to independent surveys. Located along the valley's western edge, it is home to parks, trails, houses of worship, shopping and business centers, and medical and cultural facilities.

Nearly 120 models represent the available single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums, which are priced from the mid-$300,000s to more than $2 million. Custom-home sites are priced from the $500,000s. Monthly rent for apartments starts from the mid-$800s.

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