Isabella Bird Community School

The Embodiment of Convergence

Designed as a modern education facility, Isabella Community School embodies the concept of convergence: of city and nature; past and future; traditional learning and collaborative engagement; stability and change. The school’s proximity to Bluff Lake Nature Center presented the opportunity to include natural elements within its design, creating an inspiring place for learning.

We incorporated features such as overhead doors, an indoor/outdoor stage, and learning courtyards to give students the opportunity to engage in kinetic learning, experimentation, and other innovative pedagogical methods. Isabella Bird Community School is a sustainable building expertly executed within the parameters of Denver Public Schools’ requirements, ensuring that multiple generations will have the chance to learn, grow, and play within its walls.

Go with the Flow

A blue-toned pathway connects the school’s corridors to its main stairway, personifying the gentle current of Bluff Lake Nature Center’s Sand Creek.

Use All the Crayons

The school’s use of bold colors embodies an engaging learning environment for students.

True to Form

The school’s design reveals its inner workings, with exposed steel braces and trusses. Operable fresh air vents and ceiling fans in the clerestory along the main corridor maintain ideal ventilation based on outside temperatures.

All the World’s a Stage

Featuring an indoor/outdoor stage and learning courtyards, Isabella Bird Community School provides students with opportunities for hands-on learning, experimentation, and innovative teaching methods.

The RATIO team brings all of the elements required for a successful collaboration – a high degree of professionalism, remarkable understanding of learning spaces, brilliant community-focused design concepts. And they are a pleasure to work with.

SONNY ZINN

FORMER PRINCIPAL, ISABELLA BIRD COMMUNITY SCHOOL