Project Description
Carrie A. Tuggle is a new K-5 elementary school designed to accommodate 500 students which consists of a two story classroom wing, gymnasium, cafeteria, computer lab, music room and a media center. All high volume sound areas were group together such as the gymnasium, music room and cafeteria. The two story class room wing is placed off of the lobby and atrium along with the media center and administrative area remotely located, creating a barrier for sound attenuation.
The construction consists of concrete block backup with modular brick veneer for the exterior and all concrete block interior wall partitions.
The new school was designed on the existing site replacing the school built in the 1950’s. The new school theme design has a residential appeal to fit within the existing neighborhood context by comprising of gable masonry parapets along the two story classroom wing to hide the hvac’s units and also blending in with the hipped roof over the administrative area. The school also, consists of a canopy drop-off for cars at the main entrance and a bus canopy drop-off at the gymnasium. Interior brick veneer walls are in the media center, lobby and atrium areas. A new memorial plaza was designed around the existing grave site of Mrs. Carrie A. Tuggle, the school’s Founder that is located on the original old school campus front lawn. The new memorial plaza serves as a gathering space consisting of a brick veneer retaining wall along the hill side. Also, there is a masonry clock tower over the school’s main entrance and a second tower which is an abstraction resembling the tower of the first original school built in the 1920’s. The school has socially impacted the Eron Ridge community area located in Birmingham, Alabama which is a blighted community. The school gymnasium serves as a multipurpose area for the community.