Solomon Elementary School

The Solomon Elementary School project involved the design of the entire elementary school for 1,200 students and approximately 145,000 SF. It required the design of an administration building, new classroom building, a new cafeteria, a covered play court and play fields.

Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc. (MAI) provided the complete planning and design of the school for the State of Hawaii Department of Education. The classroom building provided for 62 classrooms, including 5 preschool classrooms. A new parking lot for 160 parking stalls and new drop-off areas were also designed.

This project presented challenges in that the new school was to be built on an existing campus that needed to be operational during construction. This required careful coordination amongst the entire team in planning the phasing of the project and anticipating possible safety issues during construction. MAI was able to provide an efficient design that had little impact to the existing students and staff, while still providing a 21st century learning environment.

“The design of the building has allowed our students and staff to collaborate in a new environment that promotes collegial cooperation, articulation, and whole child education that prepares students for the new world of learning. In this age of technology and innovation, our students will be the future; our students will explore, discover, and dream. This design has removed barriers for the students and staff to transform the way we engage with learning. Teaching and learning have changed dramatically; this new school now has unleashed unprecedented opportunities for creativity and innovation.”

Thomas Swan, Principal
1SG Samuel K. Solomon Elementary School