Cooper Elementary School Re-Design
Cooper Elementary School Re-Design from Matt Wildenauer
Cooper Elementary School Re-Design

The vacant Cooper elementary school in Minneapolis,MN is a candidate for a re-design using the original shell of the building. Sustainability and LEED credits were our main concern for this project. I created a design that increased the tree canopy density, removed the majority of impermeable surface and created a outdoor recreation obstacle course for athlete training. The Building was re-purposed with retail,food and a fitness center on the first floor and residential housing on the top floor. The amount of natural light was increased by adding windows and skylights. The roof has a high SRI to decrease the heat island effect and a green roof has also been incorporated on the roof of the yoga studio. The site includes a community garden with sunken rain barrels for irrigation, native plantings, erosion control measures, a storm water retention pond and the incorporation of underground parking to reduce the amount of impermeable surface.

Plan view of the cooper site design.
Here you see the underground parking that takes advantage of the high slope on the sites east side. There are many bike racks available for commuters as well as a bike shop on site. The school's former furnace tower has been re-purposed into a climbing wall. Also shown here is the yoga studio with green roof and the green roof of the parking ramp.
A communal courtyard for both residents and community to gather. The sunken community garden supports education and good health. It is irrigated by a series of sunken rain barrels with glass tops to show the process of storm water collection. A compost area is also included to eliminate food waste.
Designed to be the bus stop of the future. This terraced seating area is surrounded by beautiful planters and shade from native birch trees. The water can be seen running down to the storm water retention pond through a series of canals.
Example of what a section of trail may look like. Workout stations and obstacles scattered around the trail. The plantings of native conifers will give a sense of urban escape when grown to maturity. The motivation for this course is to give athletes who participate in adventure races such as warrior dash,mud run, tough mudder etc, a place to train in the city.
Example of a workout station at the Laurentian divide workout course in northern Minnesota.
Laurentian divide workout course obstacle.
A friend of mine conquering one of the workout stations.
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Cooper Elementary School Re-Design

The vacant Cooper elementary school in Minneapolis,MN is a candidate for a re-design using the original shell of the building. Sustainability and LEED credits were our main concern for this project. I created a design that increased the tree canopy density, removed the majority of impermeable surface and created a outdoor recreation obstacle course for athlete training. The Building was re-purposed with retail,food and a fitness center on the first floor and residential housing on the top floor. The amount of natural light was increased by adding windows and skylights. The roof has a high SRI to decrease the heat island effect and a green roof has also been incorporated on the roof of the yoga studio. The site includes a community garden with sunken rain barrels for irrigation, native plantings, erosion control measures, a storm water retention pond and the incorporation of underground parking to reduce the amount of impermeable surface.

Matt Wildenauer
Sales Specialist at REI, Freelance Photographer at Matt Wildenauer Photography Saint Paul, MN