Hermosa Elementary School

The existing Hermosa Heights Elementary School was constructed in 1958. Over the past 60 years, the school has doubled in size, but the original cafeteria and kitchen have never grown. When this project began, the school had seven lunch periods in order to accommodate the student population. Physical education was held in portables. This project created a new multipurpose room with basketball court, bleachers and performance platform, and an all-new kitchen. The existing cafeteria was renovated to become classroom space. Security doors were added at the lobby, a new canopy constructed at the main entrance, and the parking lot extended east of the multipurpose addition. All of the additions and renovations were designed to fit with the mid-century style of the school while also bringing a modern aesthetic to the campus. V&A worked closely with LCPS, school personnel, and the contractor to ensure the school could operate with minimal disruption during construction. This is particularly important for this project, because construction took place adjacent to the playground for autistic students and the learning spaces for Head Start preschoolers.

One of the main challenges with this project was determining the best location on the campus for the multipurpose addition. The site has steep grade changes, and almost all buildable space has already been utilized. V&A worked with school administrators and district personnel to identify three potential locations for the multipurpose addition. We evaluated each location in terms of functionality, cost ramifications, and how the school would operate during construction, so school administrators could select the best possible location.

• Creation of a new multipurpose room and new kitchen
• Classroom renovations
• Security doors added and a new canopy constructed at main entrance