Barrington Elementary

As the oldest elementary school in this 100-year-old suburban Columbus community, Barrington Elementary School represents a careful blending of old and historic with new and forward-thinking. The rich architectural character of the original two-story 1939 building (designed by noted Columbus architect Howard Dwight Smith) and the complementary 1949 major wing
are carefully respected and enhanced by the major addition and extensive interior renovation designed to support future-ready learning environments for a growing enrollment.
The two-story addition, built behind and parallel to the angle-shaped 1939/1949 building, creates a central outdoor learning courtyard in an area that was a large asphalt playground. The addition accommodates four six-studio (classroom) learning neighborhoods flanking a centralized
two-story media center. Two additional six-studio learning neighborhoods are housed in the renovated existing building. Each learning neighborhood is organized around a central learning commons designed to provide a variety of teaching and learning spaces and experiences.
The school’s main entrance is returned to its original Barrington Road location under the stone, copper-capped clock tower. Renovated to be both spatially open and physically secure, the new entrance is adjacent to an expanded administration area. The existing kitchen and cafeteria are renovated and expanded to be a dynamic and flexible dining commons designed to support the projected 10-year enrollment of 871 students. The existing 1958 one-story classroom wing has been demolished to be transformed into new outdoor learning and playground spaces.
Barrington Elementary School is one of six new or renovated school projects in the Upper Arlington School District funded by a $230M bond issue approved by the community in November 2017. Moody Nolan and Perkins&Will collaborated on this project with Moody Nolan serving as the Design Lead.