Isabella Bird Community School

Isabella Bird Community School

Denver, Colorado

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 us with the opportunity to include natural elements within its design, creating an inspiring place for learning.

Client
Denver Public Schools
Size
87,748 SF
Completed
2015

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. 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.

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

“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