Smith Elementary School

School Description

Smith is located in Northeast Denver, the 35th block on Jasmine Street. Smith School was name for Margaret Smith, who was a teacher and a principal from1893 to 1941. Smith School was built in 1955 and opened the following year with students in grades 1 to 6. In the latter 1900's, Smith became the Renaissance School focusing on the Arts as a way to achieve excellence in all the curriculum areas.  

Description from Architect

Project Description: The project included master planning and other landscape architecture services for the Smith Renaissance School of the Arts. The Master Plan embodied design ideas from our workshops with the children, from meetings with teachers, and from neighborhood and school community data. The final plan was designed to reinforce curriculum, stimulate imagination, speak to self and world, and to provide a community park.

Conceptual Plan: As a School of the Arts, Smith espouses that each student achieve personal development and a higher academic level through active involvement with the arts. Colorfully and creatively integrated murals, art pieces, and a perspective grid emphasize the arts in the new campus. A second dominant design element is relationship of self to the world. Multiple nodes along the "Being Walk" exemplify self-awareness and community connection. This metaphoric element is thoughtfully articulated to demonstrate the relationship of self to the larger society, encouraging empathy and respect for self and others.A perspective grid, compass rose, U.S. map, fractional devises, and sight word wall stimulate appreciation for art as well as for traditional academic development. These experiential learning elements create an atmosphere that unites knowledge and fun in learning. Traditional play equipment and park furnishings complete the design to function both for the school and neighborhood users.

Results: The Master Plan was used for grant writing, fundraising, and building community interest. Momentum created by the Master Plan led to full funding, through public and private sources, and actualization of our school campus design. The project was completed summer, 2002.