Construction has officially begun on a groundbreaking new elementary school in Columbus, Indiana, designed through a collaboration between Höweler+Yoon and Indianapolis-based CSO Architects. The Maple Grove Elementary School represents the latest project supported by the prestigious Cummins Architecture Program, which has been funding significant cultural and architectural projects throughout the region since 1954.

The new school facility will be situated in Columbus's Tipton Lakes neighborhood, positioned adjacent to a local community church, and is designed to accommodate up to 650 students. The two-story building will rise elegantly above a gentle slope and feature distinctive vertically grained paneling that creates a striking visual impact. The architects have incorporated fluted facade materials specifically chosen to reflect and evoke the natural geological formations found throughout Indiana.

"The building is clad in large textured blocks that evoke the natural formations of a quarry—like the world under our feet—that are also rich with details and stories," explained Eric Höweler, co-founding partner of Höweler+Yoon. The fluting in the facade serves to amplify what the design team considers a floral motif, creating a connection between the built environment and the natural landscape.

The school's floor plan takes on the distinctive shape of a flower petal, a thoughtful layout that the architects say will deliver optimal natural daylighting throughout the building while providing excellent views of the surrounding exterior landscape. The design strategically places classrooms along the southern orientation to maximize natural light, while administrative wings, the gymnasium, and cafeteria are oriented toward the north side of the building.

"We really wanted to ensure that the classrooms and the primary views from the building have unobstructed views of the wooded area," shared J. Meejin Yoon, co-founding partner of Höweler+Yoon. "The petal organization ensures that all rooms have access to natural light and views of the outdoors, while also being connected to the center of the school community, represented by the town square of the Discovery Center."

At the heart of the building lies the Discovery Center, a communal space from which the petal-shaped wings radiate outward. This central area will be flooded with natural light and features a staircase positioned against one wall that leads students to a second-level mezzanine overlooking the ground floor. Architectural renderings reveal a ceiling lined with thin metal trusses that will be left partially exposed, creating an industrial yet welcoming aesthetic. A large sculptural installation will hang prominently over an informal seating area within the atrium.

The interior design incorporates a subtle but effective use of color throughout the Discovery Center, with orange, yellow, and green paint accenting various walls that encircle the central space. The building's unique orientation ensures that interior spaces will be consistently washed in natural light throughout the day. Additionally, verdant landscaping will surround the entire school complex, further integrating the building with its natural environment.

This new elementary school project continues Columbus's remarkable architectural legacy under the Cummins Architecture Program. Höweler+Yoon joins the ranks of distinguished architects who have previously designed schools in Columbus, including notable figures such as Eliot Noyes, John M. Johansen, and others. Notably, the very first building commissioned under the Cummins Architecture Program was also an elementary school, designed by renowned architect Harry Weese, establishing a strong precedent for educational architecture in the community.