Del Norte Elementary Replacement School, Roswell Independent School District

The existing Del Norte Elementary School was constructed 60 years ago. The school district and community in Roswell wanted a new modern and larger facility. The campus is shared by the school and a small city park, and is prominently located in an established neighborhood.

Replacing the school posed challenges and opportunities. Most important was to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors during construction and minimize interruptions to existing operations. SMPC coordinated construction activities with the district and general contractor, including eventual demolition of the existing school, which remained open during construction of the replacement school.

The building’s compact 70,000 sf footprint preserves the existing gym, park, parking lots, bus lanes, and play courts.  The simple formal “bar” plan and two-story classroom configuration not only efficiently met the tight site challenge, but also brought a positive visual  impact to the neighborhood. Pedestrian and vehicular circulation is safely separated, and shared age-appropriate outdoor play areas are enclosed for protection.

The south facing orientation provides efficient solar exposure, maximizing daylight and energy performance. Vibrant flexible spaces for both play and discovery are key features in the design; efficiently clustered with integrated technologies to support team teaching and learning. Shared break-out spaces further collaboration and exploration.

The new school was designed to the standards of a modern elementary school with safety, security and technology design that meet evolving demands of 21st century learning.

SMPC is the architect of record, providing overall project management, design of the building, and coordination of phasing activities. We partnered with McLain + Yu, who supported site design of the replacement school. The project team worked closely with the district and general contractor Waide Construction of Roswell, to help move the project along during the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Photo credit: Kirk Gittings Photography

“SMPC did an amazing job designing our building. It is a beautiful building that is state of the art and highly functional. SMPC and their architects are extremely professional and easy to work with. I highly recommend them.”

– Kyle Alsup, Principal, Del Norte Elementary School