Northwood Elementary School
Architect: Mahlum Architects
Location: Mercer Island, Washington
Award of Excellence
This school’s design is an eco-system of flexible and fluidly connected spaces that promote active learning and support the Next Generation Science Standards.
Northwood Elementary is located on Mercer Island, positioned directly between the cities of Seattle and Bellevue, and is the first school built in that community since the 1950s. The project occupies the corner of a large, multi-use campus, adjacent to one of the last remaining stands of Madrona trees on the island, and nestles into a steeply sloped site at the head of a major geological outlet to Lake Washington. The design is an eco-system of flexible and fluidly connected spaces that promote active learning and support the Next Generation Science Standards.
Jury comments
Northwood is a beautiful school. The project takes advantage of its Northwest locale, connecting to the outdoors with the courtyard, porches, and ample glazing in the learning spaces. The plan is thoughtful and well-executed with a variety of types and scales of learning environments, and smartly combines the dining/library programs into a connected hub.
