Safety and security were paramount concerns in this community. A two-story, single building concept was introduced to address campus safety, creating a single, secure checkpoint for visitors throughout the day and controlled after-hours access to the multi-purpose room for community events. The site allowed for a complete reorientation of the campus to further enhance safety and security by moving the front door from the busy Edison Avenue to the quieter Bell Street. Coupled with a new entry plaza, the new front door has revitalized the campus’ connection to its surrounding community in a safe and welcoming way.

To mitigate the challenges associated with swing space and construction phasing, the new Dyer-Kelly campus was sited on the former athletic fields. This allowed for an accelerated construction schedule while the existing campus remained fully operational, allowing students, faculty and staff to watch their new school being built on just the other side of the fence. Ground breaking occurred in April 2018 and the new Dyer-Kelly Elementary School opened its doors in August 2019, just 16 months later. The original campus was demolished during Summer 2019 and replacement athletics fields are currently being installed in its place.

In the single-building concept, classroom wings are organized about the central “marketplace”—the heart of the community, where people gather and connect. In the two-story volume lobby, amphitheater seating provides gathering space for the entire student body and for community events.

The team complete the new two-story campus in just 12 months, in time for the 2019/2020 school year to start.