Don & Dee Snyder Elementary School is the third re-site of Knit’s new Elementary School Prototype. Early in 2007, CCSD announced a design competition for the newest Elementary School Prototype. The criteria were challenging by inspiring; successful designs will use half the energy of a typical school of the same size, and successful designs will come in at 2/3 of a typical cost per square foot.

The 10-acre site is situated in an under-served neighborhood on the western edge of Las Vegas. Surrounded by four streets made the site easily accessible by pedestrians and vehicles. However, additional care was needed to ensure safe pedestrian crossings. The smaller lot still allows for the required open space for play, future building and playground expansion, and future modular classrooms. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic is separated and maintained in a single direction flow to allow for safe drop-off and pick-up. Bus traffic is detached from the vehicular traffic to ensure a safe loading and un-loading zone. The building is situated to take advantage of optimum solar orientation and interior daylighting. Age-based exterior play-grounds are placed strategically around the building to keep age groups together. Clean site lines aid in monitoring during and after school and help to ensure a safe campus.