South River Elementary is the first of four new buildings (and several additions and renovations) for the L'Anse Creuse Public Schools, Michigan, bond program.

The original school, built in 1927, was a significant place to many generations of residents. During demolition, masons carefully extracted its intricate hand-carved stonework and reinstalled the pieces at the front entrance of the new building.

Another surprise: walking in and being greeted by sea creatures! In other words, the terrazzo flooring of the main corridor features turtles and fish "swimming" within streams of water. The river theme is carried throughout the 70,000 square foot building.

Students and staff watched construction from their classrooms in the old school. Building on an occupied campus is always a challenge, and the project team ensured the safety of everyone on site. The team also addressed the concerns of their other site neighbor, Selfridge Air Base, especially during crane operations for lifts of the trusses, mechanical units, and second-floor precast planks.