Citation recipient from the 2025 Educational Interiors Showcase: Douglas MacArthur Elementary School
Key Highlights
- A learning stair and open media center support student collaboration and active participation.
- Classrooms have visual links to the outside tree canopy, enhancing natural light and connection to nature.
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, gives students and teachers flexibility in a learner-centered environment. The design eases transitions to extended learning areas by interconnecting circulation around centralized outdoor learning. Student engagement and collaboration is supported with a new learning stair and an open media center. All classrooms have visual connections to the tree canopy outside, including nooks where windows are lowered to see outside. Minimizing the building’s footprint and using underground parking increases student capacity and maximizes outdoor space. Alexandria’s Green Building Initiative is integral to the design, emphasizing energy conservation and mindfulness.
Read more about Douglas MacArthur Elementary and view at photo gallery at SchoolDesigns.com.