DR Narrative
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Boise, Idaho 83706 Page 1 of 3
Design Review Application
Blue Valley Elementary
West Ada School District
April 3, 2020
The proposed Blue Valley Elementary for the West Ada School District is a public educational facility designed in keeping
with previous elementary projects to complement the residential neighborhood while creating a sense of place and
unique architecture for the school. The propos ed request for the Design Review Application, is described below.
Cohesive Design
A variety of massing elements, materials, and colors are utilized on the building’s exterior to both break up the
structure’s mass and size and add visual interest, each of the individual facades harmonize to create a unified and
cohesive architectural composition. All selected building wall materials and colors that are utilized or visible at all
building elevations. The combination of various sizes and textures of colored concrete masonry, metal wall panel,
aluminum storefront window systems, and asphalt shingle roofing create a visually pleasing architecture that
extends from the main entry to secondary entry points around the entire facility.
Building Scale
The school is designed to accommodate 750 students and approximately 40-50 faculty personnel. Parapet walls
around the main gymnasium space are 33 feet in height, the parapet walls at the kitchen space is 18’ - 4” in
height, and the classroom wings are 24’ - 8” in height to the top of a pitched roof ridge point. To visually reduce
the scale of the building, modulations in wall heights, wall offsets, and varying material and color selections are
incorporated on all facades, with the greatest modulations on those walls occurring at entry points and in some
locations, facing public streets. Human scale is further incorporated through the more intimate scale of material
dimensions and patterns; through decorative masonry banding and material change below each window to
provide modulation in the overall all elevation.
Building Form
The building is composed primarily of rectangular forms and rectangular massing elements. The
structure’s largest massing elements correlate with the building’s primary functional components;
gymnasium, cafeteria, stage and classrooms. The three classroom wings have a sloped pitched roof
structure that correlates to similar forms that exist in the adjacent residential homes. The larger spaces
have been limited in height by utilizing a low sloped roof system that is screened by masonry parapet
walls. The overall building footprint is a “cross” which provides modulation of the form around the entire
structure. At each elevation of the classroom wings large 10’-8” wide aluminum storefront windows with
projecting precast concrete sill units occur at each classroom along the entire façade to provide
modulation and material change. The sloped roof structure at the classroom wing is comprised of two
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208.336.3443
2400 E. Riverwalk Dr.
Boise, Idaho 83706 Page 2 of 3
shed roof planes to create a vertical element at the ridge. A large sloped roof and column entry structure
highlights the main entrance to the facility with a contrasting metal panel cladding at the adjacent wall
surface to further accentuate the entry point.
Architectural Elements
In addition to the accent metal wall and canopy entry structure just described, other architectural
elements include doors, windows, aluminum sunshades, projecting entrance canopy, smooth metal
panel system, asphalt shingle roofing material and precast window sills. All major entry points are
highlighted by the smooth metal panel accent treatment. All roof top mechanical units are located
behind roof wells and screened from visibility.
Materials
Primary exterior materials are concrete masonry units with varying colors, sizes and textures. The method
of installation of the masonry will be a combination of standard running bond and stack bond pattern.
The exterior materials also include a smooth metal panel system at accent locations, precast concrete
detail elements, painted structural steel entry structure and columns, prefinished sun shade devices, and
pitched asphalt roofing. The pallet of these exterior materials and the gray / deep brown color scheme,
accentuated with light prefinished metal to incorporate a fresh exciting tone.
Signs / Lighting
The school name, in the form of individual dimensional letters will be located on the front (south) façade.
A monument sign is also envisioned at the entrance to the parking areas on W. American Fork Drive. All
signage will be submitted for City review and permitting separately from this application.
Site lighting will be provided at driveways, parking areas, and outdoor pedestrian environments in the
form of pole mounted, energy saving, cut-off type LED fixtures. Parking lot fixtures will be mounted at
approximately 25 feet in height while pedestrian area and some driveway lighting will be mounted at
about 16 feet. Matching wall mounted LED fixtures on the building will provide decorative supplemental
lighting at the building’s perimeter.
Pedestrian Walkways and Facilities
Pedestrian walkways are provided along W. American Fork Dr., S. Spanish Fork Way, through the site,
and from the periphery of the site to the main building entrance. A 5’ wide walking path is provide
around the site perimeter at the open grass lawn play area.
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208.336.3443
2400 E. Riverwalk Dr.
Boise, Idaho 83706 Page 3 of 3
Thank you, on behalf of the West Ada School District, for your consideration of this Design Review
Application.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments that you may have.
Respectfully,
Toby Norskog, Project Manager
LKV Architects