PEOPLE'S CHOICE | ARCHITECTURE 

Entry Name: Elkhorn Valley View Middle School
Firm: DLR Group
Owner: Elkhorn Valley School District
Location: Elkhorn, Nebraska
Photographer: Paul Brokering Inc.

Elkhorn Valley View Middle School’s design inspiration came from a “river” concept based on the local Elkhorn River. The design uses elements of Water, Sand, Vegetation, Sun and Sky to create a flow through the building and to enhance the educational experience. The school has a unique presence in the landscape as the building masses cascade down a hill in a waterfall fashion with the center section of science classrooms acting as the roots of the building. Responding to sun and sky, natural light was brought in to every classroom space and a flowing line of skylights filters light into the corridors. The exterior and interior color palette also drew inspiration from the natural colors of the earth and vegetation of the surrounding area.