Bolden Elementary/Middle School services the families living at the Marine Air Station in the Laurel Bay Military Community.

The design for a 450-student school replaced two outdated existing facilities for students in grades 3-8, providing an educational program which is based around DoDEA’s 21st Century Education Facilities criteria. The design is organized with smaller-scale learning neighborhoods, with various sizes of academic spaces to support all types of the curriculum. With collaboration space based in the middle of the neighborhoods and classrooms surrounding the hub for collaborative instruction, group learning spaces for smaller-scale project work, and smaller spaces for one-to-one work. To support the learning hubs the school includes a cafetorium; gym; specialist rooms; extracurricular spaces – art room, music/band rooms; administrative offices; counseling areas; health offices; and other required areas for a fully functioning elementary/middle school.

The new school establishes flexible learning spaces, technology integration, using the building as a learning tool, and environments to support performance-based learning. The two story building’s envelope, mechanical system, and lighting are all designed to meet the strict energy savings guidelines of the EPACT 2005 and meet LEED Silver criteria.