Join us for a hard hat tour of Maudrie Walton Elementary, a transformative K–12 project that weaves historic preservation, new construction, and community-driven design into a single cohesive campus designed by KAI

1 HSW

AIA Members: Free

Non-Members: $10

*All tickets include a plus-one

PPE Required:

• Hard Hat

• Safety vest

• Closed toe shoes

*Street parking is available on Cass St. and Ramey Ave

Attendees will explore how the project team maintained full school operations throughout a complex, multi-phased construction process while protecting student safety and minimizing disruption to learning.

From interdisciplinary coordination across architecture, structure, and MEP systems to sensory-responsive classrooms, secure entries, and storm shelter design, this project demonstrates what equitable, resilient educational design looks like in practice. Participants will also examine how sustained community engagement and environmental justice principles shaped a facility that serves neurodivergent learners, expands food access, and honors the history of a historically underserved neighborhood.

Learning Objectives:

Evaluate strategies for executing phased construction on an occupied K–12 campus while maintaining student safety

Analyze interdisciplinary coordination challenges associated with integrating new construction into a historically significant educational facility with complex topography and existing infrastructure.

Identify design solutions that improve health, safety, and student well-being through sensory-responsive learning environments

Assess how community engagement, environmental justice considerations, and equitable resource distribution can influence the planning and design of educational facilities in historically underserved neighborhoods.