Mary Scroggs Elementary School

Situated on 13 acres of land at the southern edge of Southern Village, a nontraditional neighborhood south of Chapel Hill, the site is located adjacent to the Southern Village retail center, a Town of Chapel Hill park-and-ride lot, and the Southern Village greenway. The site accommodates 118 parking spaces, a "kiss-n-go" lane with stacking space for 50 cars and a regulation-sized soccer field that is shared with the Town of Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department. In order to better fit in to the traditional neighborhood that surrounds it, the exterior design of the school is meant to harken back, but not imitate, schools designed regionally three generations ago. Modern adaptations of traditional elements are utilized to create human scale as well as provide architectural expression. Historically, the arch has signified an entrance into important places, likewise at Scroggs, the arch at the front door signifies the main entrance. The arch is intentionally sprung low to the ground to give even the youngest students a sense of scale.