LEWISTON HIGH SCHOOL — Lewiston School District The commons and cafeteria provide connections to an outdoor student space. The large windows in the cafeteria offer spectacular views of Lewiston Valley. Natural daylighting is available throughout in combinations of transparent glazing and opaque translucent wall panels. SAFETY AND SECURITY Another aspect of mental health is school safety. School safety isn’t just about preventing violence. It’s about creating spaces for teachers and students to connect with each other and their peers. Safety components and security are associated with all of LKV’s designs. Being able to monitor who is stepping foot on the campus and how to keep everybody safe inside the school has become a vital part of 21st-century educational design. Over the years, LKV Architect’s design solutions have evolved to incorporate safety and security features in a layered approach. Starting from the outer perimeter of a school site and working towards the inner classrooms, this includes a combination of secured card access door systems, bullet-resistant glazing, improved site lines for increasing visibility and security cameras. These design measures all work together to increase the level of security for the students and faculty and allow education and learning to occur in a safe environment. RENOVATING AND PRESERVING HISTORICAL SCHOOLS Many of Idaho’s original schools are aging. It is important to protect these historical buildings and preserve the architectural fabric of the city they are located within. These buildings are still worth fighting for. Much of the original architectural elements are no longer able to be replicated in today’s construction either due to loss of craftsmanship or expense. There is also a responsibility for the sustainability of the earth’s resources, the reuse of existing buildings is a wonderful way to limit some of the profession’s carbon footprint. LKV Architects has worked with multiple school districts across the state on historical buildings. One such district is the Boise School District, which is one of the largest and oldest school districts in our state. They were hired to design two elementary schools as part of renovation and addition projects for historical structures over 100 years old. One of the most challenging things to do as an architect is to bring a historical school up to date with a 21st-century educational design while not destroying a historical structure that is beloved by the community. The renovations and additions are challenging because of the need to upgrade the existing building. Whether it’s a structural upgrade or an ADA upgrade, there are multiple problems that must be solved in the portion of the building that is being kept. The new additions present their own challenges, like connecting two different construction types into one single building while improving the entrances, infrastructure, HVAC and fire protection, all while making sure that the site circulation works. 20 IDAHO ARCHITECTURE | 2025 | aiaidaho.com
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