Western Boone Schools hired Moake Park Group to conceptualize renovations and expansions to the Thorntown Elementary facility. The goal was to determine whether the existing elementary school should be renovated or whether an entirely new building should be built.

Moake Park Group performed an existing building assessment. It concluded that the current elementary building was in excellent condition and the proper way to proceed would be to renovate and expand the existing school building.

After concluding the assessment, we identified a list of space needs for the school. These spaces included a secure entry, a learning commons, a new media center, and a variety of flexible lab spaces. These spaces would improve Western Boone Schools' learning environment and bring new learning tools to the district.

Moake Park Group highlighted key areas within the existing building that would be optimal locations to expand and renovate. At the center of the project is the main learning commons that would be situated outside of the current gymnasium.

The new media center would be included in the learning commons. Moving the existing media center into this new space would connect it to the soft seating areas and learning stairs, providing students with a new way of learning and interacting.

Notable spaces within the learning commons are flexible learning environments. Each provides a unique opportunity for students to experience and learn in an environment such as a virtual reality studio or to create things in a maker’s lab.