Historic Westside School

The Historic Westside school is the oldest school remaining in Las Vegas and is incredibly significant in the history of the city. First opened in 1923, the original school became the first to integrate students from the nearby Paiute Tribe and first school in Las Vegas to welcome African-American students in the 1940’s. KME Architects won the commission from the City of Las Vegas to design a masterplan for the 5-acre site and restore this important building to its original state, culminating with the design and restoration of the original building that now holds a LEED Gold Certification and is listed on the National Register of Historic places.

KME Architect’s design process started with community outreach in order to engage the public. KME’s local familiarity helped us to understand how important the community component would be to ultimate success of this project. KME Architects sponsored community charrettes and opportunities for the community to convey their needs and desires for the area. Our final design for the restoration of the school included open space that could be used as an attraction to the area and gathering spaces for the community.

The disciplines provided in this project included: Architectural, Interior Design, Historic Architectural Consulting, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Soils Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Horticulture consulting, Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Engineering.

The 1948 Annex building at the Historic West Side School is an important part of Las Vegas History. As the need for educational space grew due the inclusion of students and a boom in population, the need for additional classroom facilities were required. Although not as old as the original school house structure, the Annex building played a role in the historical significant of the school’s campus.

KME Architects was commissioned thru the award of a competitive SOQ issued by the city of Las Vegas. The restoration of the Annex building plays an important role in the overall design and restoration of the original building and campus. KME Architects’ idea for the restored Annex building is to house small offices and retail spaces as well as include a small café to attract people to the area. The original courtyard was redesigned to provide pedestrians a gathering place with landscaping, shade trees and seating. The incorporation of these features would help develop a project that will maintain a sense of attraction in the community and establish a public presence.

The disciplines provided in this project included: Architectural, Interior Design, Historic Architectural Consulting, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Soils Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Horticulture consulting, Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Engineering.