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.

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 This campaign was aimed at rebuilding existing schools that were outdated or had fallen into disrepair.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.

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.

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.

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

Human Health

Resource Conservation

To read more about sustainability at LSW, download our Sustainability Action Plan here.