7830 Chapel St., Midvale
Groundbreaking: Aug. 3, 2011
Opening Celebration: Aug. 13, 2012

School leaders at Midvale Elementary had a long list of concerns about their school when they first met with the administration of Canyons District to discuss potential improvements. Seismic stability, heating, cooling and technological capabilities were among the worries school members had about their 61-year-old school. It didn’t take long to decide that the best way to meet the laundry-list of needs was to knock down the building and rebuild. The 90,000-square-foot building was completed in just one year, with air conditioning, 24 classrooms and computer labs, plenty of windows to let in natural light, and a design that hearkens to Utah’s natural landscape. State rivers are depicted in tiles on the floor and in ceiling structures, outdoor seating resembles the hoodoos of southern Utah’s Goblin Valley and lighting in the hallways is reminiscent of the stalactites of Timpanogos Cave. The classrooms are wired for a 21st-century education and outside of the school, students enjoy relaxing on the new playground.