Dressel Elementary School in St. Louis, MO, has been awarded a Gold Citation in the 2021 American School & University Educational Interiors Showcase, the premier competition honoring education interiors excellence.
Describing the project, the Jury stated: “Elegantly executed. The plan is thoughtful and orderly, but with enough complexity to make it interesting. The material palette is pleasing and durable. The small group spaces for each classroom wing are the right balance of open but separate. Storage is appropriately integrated to make multipurpose spaces useful for many groups.”
Dressel Elementary was awarded an Honor Award in interiors by AIA-St. Louis in 2020. Dressel also received a Merit Award in architecture.
Dressel Elementary is a bright and friendly school serving up to 650 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and provides a future-ready facility welcoming to all students. Dressel Elementary relieved overcrowding throughout the district’s 11 facilities. It replaced a small, aging school on the site with a new 98,000-square-foot building designed to provide a welcoming environment for 21st century learners.
To match the scale of the surrounding residential neighborhood, the two-story building with a competition size gym is set into a hillside at the back of the site. Despite the partial basement condition at the lower level, classroom wings shaped like fingers and sawtooth-shaped roof elements allow natural light to permeate both classrooms and public spaces.
Each designated grade-level wing features an open STEM project area to enhance student learning and exploration. Between classroom wings are courtyards where raingardens collect water from the school’s roof, allowing students to observe this natural process and illustrating a commitment to sustainability.
Dressel continues to be recognized as an exceptional project. Congratulations to the Ittner team!