Rock Hill Schools
Rock Hill, South Carolina

The new Cherry Park Elementary School combined the district’s three language immersion programs into one school. Cherry Park was built as an addition to Sullivan Middle School for grades K-3. Sullivan Middle School was partly renovated for grades 4 and 5. As a result, students can study languages without interruption from grades 4 to 8 at the same campus.

As this project merged resources and communities from three different elementary schools, stakeholder input was essential to the design process. A design charette planted the seeds for elements that would become defining features of the school, including the Casa Maison concept.

Named for the Spanish and French words for house, the Casa Maisons comprise expanded circulation space in each of the three classroom wings to support break-out and collaborative learning.

Adjoining classrooms makes it easy for students to switch throughout the day between English and the chosen foreign language. These paired classes then may utilize the Casa Maison for joint learning or small group work.

Cherry Park Elementary School is the district’s first LEED-certified school.

Awards + Recognition

• Outstanding Project Award, Learning by Design: Educational Facilities Design, 2020
• Community Champion Project Finalist, USGBC, 2019