Page 32 - School Planning & Management, January/February 2019

Building Blueprints \{ FACILITIES IN FOCUS \}
A Space to Grow
PREPARING STUDENS TO BE INDEPENDENT, SELF-SUFFICENT. by TORREY SIMS AND KEVIN SULLIVAN
GREAT WORK MONTESSORI School (GWMS) stands out at the end of its Lakewood, Colo.
block, yet with its subtle landscaping and nature-inspired play equipment it also simultaneously blends into
its natural environment, as
it sits adjacent to the Weir Gulch, one of Colorado’s key waterways.
The design complements the unique, yet simplistic approach to the school’s educational philosophy as well. Amy Ma- lik, head of school at the newly completed GWMS, seeks to educate students in a way that allows them to be self-sufficient and independent in their everyday lives. Malik explained that GWMS is guided by
Montessori’s core principles and focuses specifically on diversity, adhering to the standards of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), and community partnership. In addition, Malik wanted
the school to be developed around the idea of “Mon- tessori for All.” As she ex- plained, Montessori is often
financially out of reach for many families. With that thought in mind, GWMS offers a sliding scale payment model for preschool- aged children, based on each family’s ability to pay, which allows learners from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds to experience the Montessori environment.
This vision also helped to drive the design and construction of the new GWMS.
The PreK-4 charter school was completed in August 2018 by Lakewood-based Himmel- man Construction and Denver-based design firm MOA Architecture, with the Lakewood office of Vanir Construction Management, Inc., serving as the owner’s representative.
The 39,000-square-foot school took just over a year to complete and was designed with precision and attention to detail in order to meet the specific requirements and overall vision for the school. The design team paid particular attention to the design of the kindergarten/primary classroom spaces. GWMS features three kindergarten- aged classrooms, all equipped with the necessary (and height appropriate) tools and design features to serve the children learn- ing in these classrooms.
KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS
32 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
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PHOTOS © TORREY SIMS