Situated just a block away from its former home within a split retail complex, Lupine Montessori transformed a former hardware store at the end of a strip mall into a nurturing learning environment that fully embraces Montessori principles.
The renovation consolidates the school’s formerly divided locations into a unified campus, designed to support its expanding early childhood program. The new facility includes five spacious classrooms, each with generous natural light, direct access to the outdoors, and purposefully designed environments that foster independence, exploration, and a deep connection to nature.
All classrooms are arranged along the perimeter of the building, each with windows and doors providing access to exterior learning areas on three sides.
At the heart of the plan lies a central living room—a shared gathering space bathed in natural light from skylights above. This flexible space serves as the social and spatial anchor of the school: a place for collective learning, community, and student artwork display. Surrounding this core is a warm, wood-clad volume that contains support spaces such as the quiet room, coat storage, print room, and staff areas.
Two ‘Casa’ classrooms serve the youngest children in mixed-age groupings. These classrooms are thoughtfully connected by a central nap/flex room and include adjacent observation spaces for prospective parents and educators to discreetly observe without disruption.
The interior palette balances practical durability with warmth and material richness. Existing polished concrete floors are retained in the living room, with classrooms receiving LVT flooring for acoustic and tactile comfort, and carpeted offices offering a quieter zone for faculty. White-painted surfaces—from the drywall to the tectum ceiling and exposed bar joists—reflect daylight throughout the space, fostering a bright, open environment that centers student creativity. Lighting is tailored to support Montessori pedagogy: classrooms are illuminated with soft, indirect and direct lighting, bouncing off the ceiling to create ambient and task-friendly environments. In the living room, downlights are aligned perpendicular to the structure to echo the building’s rhythm and bring clarity to the shared space.
Additional Images
Architecture: Wheeler Kearns Architects
Photography: Brian Griffin