El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School
The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027. The $73.9-million facility is part of a larger, $387-million initiative to update learning spaces for students.
The building will play home to K–5 students and will include 36 classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, a gym, cafeteria, library, and outdoor learning and play spaces. The school’s central corridor will provide views of the area’s mountain ranges, as will angled windows scattered throughout the rest of the school. Built into the natural slope of the terrain, the new school will create “a seamless relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces,” according to the news release.
“The school acts as a bridge between the Westway neighborhood and the new southern developments, inviting students to look toward their future while remaining grounded in community,” said Pfluger Architects’ Christian Owens, Principal Design Director. “El Mirador is a symbol of community connection and pride, where the design merges storytelling, biophilic elements, and cultural identity to create an environment that celebrates both place and possibility.”
Aesthetic features include a color palette that draws from the area’s native plant life and desert terrain with warm, natural tones. The building’s finishes are “resilient, low-maintenance, and timeless, ensuring longevity and flexibility while supporting comfort and sustainability,” the news release stated.
“The new Deanna Davenport Elementary will give our students and teachers the tools and spaces they need to continue excelling,” said Principal Guadalupe Montañez. “This facility will support academic excellence, promote creativity and curiosity, and strengthen our sense of community.”
About the Author
Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].