K-12 Public Schools

Pleasant Valley Elementary School

South Windsor, CT

The new Pleasant Valley Elementary School is more than just a replacement for the 1958 building. It’s a warm, welcoming space that also houses the District’s vital POP and iPOP preschool programs. After exploring a variety of options, the final design emerged as a thoughtful blend of function and comfort. The layout cleverly separates drop-off areas and entrances for elementary and preschool students to minimize congestion. The cafeteria and gym are strategically located so the community can access these areas after hours without entering the main academic core.

The two-story school is home to 800 students in PK-5. Each grade has its own neighborhood with breakout spaces and art centers showcasing the school’s impressive art print collection. Students can explore their creativity in specialized spaces for art, music, and band. There is also a STEAM lab with access to an outdoor courtyard. The gym was designed to support the broader community offering a full-sized wood basketball court divisible into two cross courts. All basketball backstops are fully retractable affording generous seating when using the performance platform. Outside, a grand 36-foot oak tree was carefully protected during construction and now shades an outdoor classroom.

The amount of natural light within the facility was a primary design objective and serves as a key characteristic of the school. The connection to nature and the outdoors from the indoor learning environment is supported and encouraged. The library space has a large bank of north-facing windows offering glare-free natural light for reading, as well as views to the stand of trees to the north of the school. Similarly, the cafeteria is light-filled and cheery with views to the wooded south property line and the large oak and outdoor classroom space. Two of the major circulation spines, “Main Street” and the Kindergarten connector, utilize curtainwall construction to fill the space with natural light, and reinforce connection to nature.