Colgate Elementary School Replacement

Design Collective was selected by Baltimore County Public Schools to provide design and construction administration services for the replacement of the existing Colgate Elementary School originally built in 1924, with subsequent additions over the decades, in Dundalk, Maryland.

Anchoring the corner of 51st and Gough street, the new Pre-K-5 school is approximately 88,000 square feet on a 5 acre site. Based on the flexible West Towson Elementary prototype, the design easily accommodated additional classrooms and collaboration areas that were program specific to this project with a capacity of 530 students. Shared community spaces were integrated for after hours use with the gym, cafeteria, and large meeting rooms, as well as access to restroom facilities when the exterior recreational fields are in use. The occupiable green roof overlooking the neighborhood can be used as a teaching area, directly accessible from the art and maker space classrooms on the upper floor. Lastly, the materials and design motif for the exterior of the building respect the language of the neighborhood while harkening back to turn of the century industrial Baltimore.

Students and staff temporarily relocated to a nearby former school for the 2018- 2019 academic year and remained in this “swing school” for the duration of the project. The original school was demolished and several historic elements of the original school were salvaged, including stone pediments, a cornerstone, and signage. These elements have been included in the design of the new building to carry forth the tradition of Colgate Elementary School in its new 21st-Century replacement. The school has opened for the 2021-2022 school year. The project achieved LEED Silver certification.