Wakefield Elemenary

Wakefield Elementary School has served an ethnically diverse neighborhood of Little Rock since 1959. As a cornerstone of the community, the school is a part-nered with Share America through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. This volunteer program provides assistance to the children and families of Wakefield by furnishing school supplies, shoes, medical and dental screenings, and birth-day and Christmas gifts. An after-school Voyager program is maintained at the facility. A fire in 2002 destroyed all of the original facility except for the 5,500 square foot cafeteria, precipitating the school district to rebuild the complex with the district’s new school building safety guidelines, as well as expanding the facility. The new facility in¬cludes a computer lab, media center, an enclosed play area, and Future Smiles Dental Health Clinic. As the only in-school Dental Clinic in the state with a full time dentist, it serves Wakefield and five other elementary schools in the district.

To maximize physical and visual access to the space, the media center was placed at the intersection of the two nearby streets.  Large windows allow pedestrians to see into the high-tech space while perforated metal panels reduce glare.  Exterior materials consist of patterned brick in three muted colors and stucco on the parapet.  The subtle variation in brick tones allows for the articulation of building elements and breaks up the monolithic appearance of long walls.  Metal awnings were employed to control the sun so that all classrooms could benefit from natural light.