PreK-12 Education

CBCSD Early Childhood Learning Center

BVH Architecture worked with the Council Bluffs Community School District to design a progressive Childhood Education Center. The facility is intended to fill a gap in the community as a no-cost opportunity for those families otherwise unable to afford to start the educational process with their children. The design is focused on creating small learning communities to provide fun and exciting opportunities for active and exploratory learning.

Every classroom connects directly to outdoor educational spaces intended to provide motor development through climbing, play, outdoor manipulatives, trikes, etc. An indoor water play room engages students in multi-sensory activities. The dining room is centered around family style dining to teach skills that children may not learn at home. Two separate large motor skills rooms allow various activities with acoustic separation for loud and fast activities in one room while quieter activities can be accommodated in the other. Outdoor learning spaces are spread across a controlled area with gardens, small outdoor auditoriums and other group gathering/learning spaces. Security and supervision features are layered in the building and site design to provide a safe and functional environment.

Using geothermal and solar photovoltaics, the project is budgeted to be a net-zero energy building when complete, producing as much energy as it consumes. The building mass is optimized around daylighting with sensors that turn LED lights off when they are not needed. The building envelope is designed to greatly exceed required energy efficiency ratings.

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