In the southern area of Cumberland, Rhode Island, a new 64,460 square foot, four-track Kindergarten through Grade 5 school will allow students of diverse backgrounds and cultures to learn in a new school environment. The new school celebrates the diverse student population while placing learning on display. The BF Norton Elementary School is the first new school project in Cumberland since the construction of its original school buildings. The creative organization of the building form and mass reduces the overall building footprint and exterior envelope. The new school is a showcase for learning organized around a multi-story open and transparent entry foyer, articulated with abundant natural light that highlights the wall graphics celebrating school culture and educational facts about sustainability and nature. The new school breaks through the traditional confinement of corridors by infusing one-on-one interaction zones and small- and large-group collaboration areas that offer a heightened sense of the school community. The sense of the school community extends into the landscape with dedicated play zones for student use during the day, and community use after school and on weekends. A new Veteran’s Memorial Park at the edge of Broad Street will provide a much-needed green buffer between the busy street and the school site, creating a safe outdoor learning and play environment for students. The design responds to the urban fabric surrounding the site with a compact building footprint, a stepped three-story classroom core to maximize natural light and ventilation, and an outdoor flexible green space for school and community use.