Fort Worth Country Day, a private school in Fort Worth, Texas, has completed construction of a $25 million, 32,720-square-foot lower school building.
The Business Press reports that the Annie Richardson Bass Lower School Building replaces a building constructed in 1964. The new facility houses more than 325 students in grades 1 through 4.
The lower school has been designed to integrate learning with the outdoor environment; it is infused with natural light, connections to the outdoors, tuned acoustics, and appropriate technology. Among its highlights:
- Learning spaces infused with natural light, with large windows, adaptive technology, and acoustics that enhance active learning.
- A 2,002-square-foot library featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, a fireplace, reading nooks, and large sliding glass doors that open into a central courtyard.
- Dedicated spaces for discovery, including two science labs, a collaboratory/makerspace, and tutoring rooms for small-group learning.
- Outdoor learning areas and creative play spaces tailored to encourage exploration, imagination, and collaboration.
A notable feature of the new school is “Chuck,” a 30- to 40-year-old, 22,000- pound, 25-foot-tall Chinquapin Oak that has been relocated from Canton, Texas, to the lower school courtyard.
To pay for the lower school and other school improvements, Fort Worth Country Day $40 million from more than 300 donors.
The architect is Lake|Flato; the landscape architect is Hocker Design; the general contractor is Linbeck.
