Richard Bowling Elementary School
Norfolk, Virginia
Overview
Richard Bowling Elementary School is a 101,060-square-foot Pre-K–5 educational facility developed for Norfolk Public Schools as part of the City’s Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) initiative. Designed around the International Baccalaureate educational model, the school combines classrooms with small-group project rooms, specialized learning labs, and collaborative spaces that support academic rigor, hands-on exploration, and project-based learning. Thompson Consulting Engineers provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design, Construction Administration, and Commissioning services for the project, incorporating energy-efficient building systems alongside sustainable strategies such as daylight harvesting and the integration of surrounding wetlands into the learning environment. These features support occupant comfort and operational efficiency while reinforcing a school designed to make collaboration, sustainability, and experiential learning part of students’ everyday education.
Challenges
- Designing building systems to support a modern elementary school environment with diverse instructional and shared learning spaces.
- Coordinating infrastructure as part of a multi-school PPEA development program.
- Delivering reliable, energy-efficient systems capable of supporting long-term school operations.
Goals
- Provide a modern learning environment that supported evolving instructional methods and student collaboration.
- Enhance comfort, safety, and energy performance through high-efficiency building systems.
- Support Norfolk Public Schools’ long-term facilities modernization efforts through the PPEA initiative.
Project Team
- Owner: Norfolk City Public Schools
- Architect: RRMM, Waller Todd and Sadler Architects and Livas Group
- Contractor and PPEA Leader: S.B. Ballard Construction Company
Results
- Successfully delivered a new elementary school facility serving the Norfolk community.
- Enhanced student and staff comfort through integrated, high-performance building systems.
- Provided efficient, reliable infrastructure designed to support long-term educational operations.
