Des Moines Public Schools

As DMPS embarked on re-imagining education and proposing a bold new vision for Iowa’s most populous and diverse school district, they tasked BBS with conceptualizing a new kind of DMPS K-6 school, one that artfully blends forward thinking design with the nostalgic past, gracefully more than doubling its capacity from 2-sections of K-5 to 4-sections of K-6. This project was integral to ### member Reimagining Education (RE) committee’s process and to the district’s successful “Reimagining Education” bond referendum, the largest in state history, with 74% of the vote. To ensure the RE committee stayed on schedule, BBS sprinted for almost four months, meeting weekly with RE committee members and DMPS leadership, to help the district dream big. This project redefines what an educational facility is and how it can focus on the community while delivering outstanding growth for students. Leading with big ideas and working through the details, BBS showed DMPS that a school could look like, feel like, and function in innovative and effective ways. Part of this was developing an idea-based identity for DMPS school. More compelling than forced colors, materials, or logos, the identity of the lantern is immediately recognizable across the district’s 73 sites and infinitely adaptable to their 125-year building portfolio. The defining quality of this school is the students’ engagement in the continuum of their studies and by extension in the world beyond the school grounds, as shaped by the environment. The new light filled secure entry leads to the iconically-roofed gymnasium, adjacent courtyard, and maker spaces. Repurposed for exhibition XXXX, and experimentation, these spaces showcase preservation and charm marrying with modernization, supporting both traditional education with forward-thinking curriculums through experiential opportunities. This paradigm flows through every wing, out into the playgrounds, and interactive landscape beyond, promoting wonder, exploration, and discovery. Rising above, the lantern, a beacon to the community, is a symbol of a school called to do more – to be a gathering place of curiosity and discovery; to be an inspiring light shining into the future.