Cardinal Elementary School
Cardinal Elementary School is a Net-Zero designed public K-5 school in Arlington, Virginia—a suburb of Washington, D.C. Located outside the nation's capital, the design team created a thematic wayfinding, graphics, and signage approach to placemaking that represented global cultures and landscapes as something to celebrate and protect. It was important to marry the Client's forward-thinking sustainability goals with their vision for inclusion and representation.
Client
Arlington Public Schools
Architect
VMDO Architects
Location
Arlington, VA
Scope
Wayfinding, Environmental Graphics, Signage
Citizens of the World
Each academic wing of the school took on the branding of one of the seven continents—displaying signage and graphics that highlight the topographic quality of the continent, unique landscapes features, and cultural icons.
The required ADA classroom signage was used as an opportunity to assign a different city and country identity to each classroom—encouraging students to learn more about different global cultures and places.
Every Space is a Learning Place
The school's corridors were transformed into immersive learning environments with elements of discovery integrated throughout 2D and 3D signage and graphics at various scales through various touchpoints and media.
Each continent represented throughout the corridors comes together in a stylized world map in the heart of the school, the library. This gathering place for the students communicates the importance of celebrating and protecting their global cultures and landscapes.
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