Bunker Elementary

Muskegon Public Schools Bunker Elementary is one of the first projects awarded to Pure Architects since their genesis. Pure was tasked with transforming a former middle school into a space where elementary students feel comfortable and empowered to thrive.

Muralist, Jubenal Rodriquez, is a MPS graduate who designed the playground’s backdrop where Bunker students learn through play.
Access to daylight was a critical feature in design. To increase sunlight, energy-efficient low-E coated glass windows were installed. Additionally, creative solutions like, a window monitor, were added to get daylight into center rooms.

Community is important to Muskegon Public Schools. By bringing in local organization Lions & Rabbits to coordinate two murals for Bunker Elementary, Pure ensured that students would be brought into the design process to help showcase the importance of art in a space.
Artist: Jubenal Rodriguez via Lions & Rabbits
Before the transformation
One of the biggest hurdles in this design-build was the conversion of the space from secondary to primary education. Before the renovation, classrooms were set up for middle school-aged students and had minimal windows. Pure reworked the classrooms to be more conducive to learning at the elementary level and restored the original window openings.
“Reviving the school's original central design concept of large expansive classroom windows has transformed the learning environment of all students at Bunker Elementary.  An experience that is now more connected to its context and welcoming to its community.”
Nick Wallis
Studio Director
Location
Muskegon, MI
Scale
130,505 sf
Category
Education