A Place to Connect
Ogden Elementary School

Overview
Ogden Elementary School offers a fresh learning and social environment on a campus designed to inspire collaboration and whimsical play. It encompasses 85,000 SF of new construction and includes 35 classrooms for early-learning through 5th grade, as well as a gathering commons, fitness, dance, music and maker spaces.
Key Stats
Owner
Vancouver Public Schools
Location
Vancouver, WA
Total Square Footage
85,000 SF
Classrooms
35
Student Capacity
550
Completion Date
2019

Context
Ogden Elementary was the first of the Vancouver Public Schools to be rebuilt using proceeds from the District’s $458 million bond that passed in 2017. This campaign was aimed at rebuilding existing schools that were outdated or had fallen into disrepair. The new building prioritizes collaborative learning and personal choice, reflecting Ogden’s project-based learning curriculum.



Design
The school was designed with connectivity and integration in mind, bridging the gap between nature and interiors while eliminating barriers to learning success for students. Classrooms are anchored around larger rooms and easily connected by doorways, emphasizing collaborative learning and lessons. The space itself is flooded by plenty of natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views to the outdoors.
The building also features an art room, a dance studio, and a small stage for student performances. The makerspace is filled with tools, sewing machines and programmable robots.
There’s an implied connection and flow between each of its spaces: from classrooms to the central commons, and from its playgrounds to the forested areas. The textures, colors, and natural areas outside, encourage touch, exploration, and discovery.
Indoor/outdoor learning experiences extend to the garden courtyard and exterior patios, which are connected to classrooms through operable doorways. This allows for spontaneous outdoor learning and nature play in the forest.

A Community Resource
The Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) at Ogden Elementary was also designed to offer a safe, trauma-informed space for students and families to access care and services. While this center serves students in a variety of general ways on a daily basis, its most critical function is to eliminate socio-economic barriers. This includes providing access to food, clothing, and resources, mental health services, social programs, community events, and transportation.

Sustainability
The design for Ogden Elementary meets the requirements for the Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol (WSSP). In addition, it was important to staff and students to expand on these features in ways that enhance the user-experience. Below are a few examples that capture the school’s commitment to a sustainable program, as filtered through LSW’s own sustainability lens:
Energy Efficiency
LED fixtures are used throughout the building
A minimum of 75% construction waste went to recycling
Sunshade devices on all south facing glass
Human Health
MERV13 filters installed at all HVAC units
Resource Conservation
Onsite stormwater management system for water treatment
Infiltration trenches have been dig for water disposal, as well as a detention pond for quality control
Onsite irrigation system and low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce water usage by up to 50% and 30% respectively, and 25% less sewage water
10% of the project contains recycled material and 20% of building materials have been manufactured within 500 miles of the project
To read more about sustainability at LSW, download our Sustainability Action Plan here.
Energy Use Intensity

“When voters say ‘yes’ and commit to projects like this, they’re also showing their support - that they have trust in Vancouver Public Schools, and that they have faith in the educators that work there and that they also have the same belief: that to better our future, we also need to educate our children.”
April Whipple
Former Principal, Ogden Elementary School