Big Horn Elementary | Sheridan Co. School District #1

With the opening of Big Horn Elementary and the completion of site work, the new Big Horn campus, envisioned in Malone Belton Abel’s masterplan, will be complete. Over the past ten years, our firm has produced a series of planning and site studies, leading eventually to phased construction and demolition, and two new schools for the K-12 campus.

The K-5 school totals 42,500 SF: 34,000 SF of new construction connected to 8500 SF of remodeled building.  Portions of this older building were remodeled into vocational classrooms and administration spaces. The role of the existing gym was expanded to cafeteria, gymnasium and assembly space for the elementary students.

The new building is on two levels with the lower level daylighting out onto a K-2 playground and the upper level tying into the existing gymnasium structure.  Kindergarten and special education classrooms are on the lower level with grades 1 through 5 on the upper level.

Discussions with staff and administration explored such design options as movable walls and extensive shared spaces.  In the end the consensus was for each teacher having a clearly defined space.

The new Elementary opened for classes in April 2012, and the demolition of the old elementary school quickly followed.  Budget for the elementary school and sitework is $8.4 million.